Shoebox Packing Party!

This year's collected boxes. 13 in all!

Today was my 2nd annual shoebox packing party - i.e. a get together with a small group of friends and family to pack boxes for Operation Christmas Child. This year's party put together 13 boxes to be sent to needy children around the world. Items in the boxes included candy, small toys, games, school supplies, toothbrushes and toothpaste, and washcloths and soap. I first began doing these boxes when I was a child and it has since become one of the things I most look forward to each year. In 2008 I was even able to go to the distribution center in Charlotte to help with processing the boxes from around the country before they were shipped. Last year's party was my first, which was also a bit of a delayed housewarming party. It was also the first year that the shipping labels included a tracking bar code. Shortly after Christmas I got an e-mail to let me know that my boxes had gone to Ukraine. Where will they go this year? I'll let you know as soon as I find out.

Of course no party would be complete without food and beverages. The featured items were my vegetarian chili (also made in the mountains last month) served with tortilla chips (Archer Farms black bean and jalapeno flavor from Target - the best!), homemade Glühwein (mulled wine) and hot apple cider. I made Betty Crocker Gluten-Free Brownies for dessert, but was a bit delayed in putting them out, so I had to send some home with the guests that were still here when everything was done.

It was a great afternoon - beautiful weather for the kids who were here to play outside and cool enough to enjoy the chili and hot drinks.

I'm already looking forward to next year and hope that even more people will be able to come. I also found out that the church I've been attending does not have OCC in it's ministry program, so maybe I'll be able to do something about that. This is one of my favorite things to do every year and want to share it with even more people!