「圣诞儿童行动」全国收集周11月16日至23日举行：近5000个投递点收鞋盒，目标惠及1280万名儿童
每到11月，全美各地的教会与社区都会忙碌起来：由基督教救援机构撒玛利亚救援会（Samaritan's Purse）发起的「圣诞儿童行动」（Operation Christmas Child），将于11月16日至23日迎来一年一度的全国收集周。届时全美近5,000个投递点将同步开放，接收民众亲手装填的鞋盒礼物。
鞋盒里装的是玩具、学习用品与个人护理用品等小礼物，送往世界各地处于贫困、疾病、战争与灾难之中的儿童。该项目2026年的目标是让1,280万名儿童收到鞋盒。自1993年启动以来，圣诞儿童行动已累计把超过2.44亿个装满礼物的鞋盒，送到175多个国家和地区的儿童手中。
参与方式并不复杂：找一个普通鞋盒，按儿童的年龄与性别装入礼物，在收集周内送到就近的投递点即可。捐赠者还可以每盒在线捐助10美元，通过「Follow Your Box」功能获得追踪标签，日后查询自己的鞋盒被送到了哪个国家；不便亲自购物的，也可以在机构网站上以25美元使用「Build a Box」服务，由工作人员代为装盒。
收集周结束后，鞋盒将被送往全美多个处理中心，由志愿者检查、整理，再装运出海，经各地伙伴教会分发到儿童手中。撒玛利亚救援会主席葛培理之子葛福临（Franklin Graham）说，这些礼物看似简单，却有永恒的影响——每一盒都是向有需要的男孩或女孩讲述圣诞真正意义的机会。
各投递点的开放时段不尽相同，机构建议参与者提前在samaritanspurse.org查询就近投递点与开放时间，并按网站指引了解装盒规范。收集周是该项目全年最集中的一波，错过这一周，多数地区将不再设点接收。
（来源：撒玛利亚救援会）
Operation Christmas Child National Collection Week Runs November 16-23: Nearly 5,000 Drop-Off Sites and a Goal of Reaching 12.8 Million Children
Volunteers across the United States are preparing for National Collection Week for Operation Christmas Child, the Samaritan's Purse project that sends gift-filled shoeboxes to children in need around the world. From November 16 to 23, nearly 5,000 drop-off locations nationwide will open to receive shoebox gifts packed by churches, groups and individuals.
Each shoebox holds toys, school supplies and personal care items for a child facing poverty, illness, war or disaster. Operation Christmas Child hopes to reach 12.8 million children in 2026. Since it began in 1993, the project has collected and delivered more than 244 million gift-filled shoeboxes to children in more than 175 countries and territories.
Packing a box is simple: fill a standard shoebox with gifts chosen for a child's age group and gender, and take it to a nearby drop-off site during collection week. Participants can also donate $10 per shoebox gift online through the 'Follow Your Box' feature to receive a tracking label and discover where their box was delivered. For those unable to shop, the Samaritan's Purse website offers a 'Build a Box' option: a $25 donation lets the organization build one on the donor's behalf.
After collection week, the boxes travel to processing centers around the country, where volunteers inspect and prepare them for the journey overseas. The project partners with local churches worldwide to deliver the gifts. 'These gifts may seem simple, but they have an eternal impact,' said Franklin Graham, president of Samaritan's Purse. 'Each box is an opportunity to tell a boy or girl in need about the true meaning of Christmas.'
Drop-off hours vary by location, and Samaritan's Purse directs participants to samaritanspurse.org to find their nearest site, check its hours, and review the how-to-pack guidance before collection week begins.
(Source: Samaritan's Purse)
来源：撒玛利亚救援会
发布：GSM·美国（发布链接）
图片来源：美国海军人员参与「圣诞儿童行动」鞋盒分装（资料图）。图片来自 Wikimedia Commons，公共领域。 / U.S. Navy personnel take part in an Operation Christmas Child packing event (file photo). Image via Wikimedia Commons, public domain.
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