For 12 years, Nicole Nelson helped organize Operation Christmas Child’s Eastern Sandhills effort. A trip to Kenya showed her the joy children found in receiving pencils of their own.
Imagine if your biggest opportunities were tied to one pencil. One pencil could open the door to education, support, growth and even financial stability. What would you do if you knew you could help put that pencil in a child’s hands — and open a door that might otherwise stay closed?
Operation Christmas Child, a project of Christian relief organization Samaritan’s Purse, invites individuals, families and churches to fill shoeboxes with items such as school supplies, hygiene products and toys. The boxes are delivered through local church partners, along with Christian materials and an invitation to learn about Jesus. Children may also be invited to The Greatest Journey, a 12-lesson discipleship course where they meet weekly to hear Bible stories, memorize Scripture and learn to share their faith with family and friends.
Two years ago, Nicole Nelson, then the Eastern Sandhills area coordinator for Operation Christmas Child, traveled to Kenya to see a shoebox distribution. At one school, children were excited to have pencils of their own.
“None of them had ever had their own pencil,” Nicole said.
In some countries, Nicole explained, a child must bring a pencil to attend school. She has seen one pencil cut into three pieces and sharpened so three children could each use one.
Some former shoebox recipients later came to the United States through adoption or to attend college and now work with the ministry as Full Circle speakers. They travel to share their stories and the program’s impact.
“He got to go to school for the first time because he received a pencil,” Nicole said of one speaker.
During that trip to Kenya, Nicole watched children open their shoeboxes and begin using what was inside. The children could be seeing these items for the first time, simple things many of us take for granted, and they can become treasured possessions.
One boy wore his new sunglasses in a dim classroom and kept them on as he tried to look at a book. Nicole remembers teasing that he looked “too cool” to take them off. At a later lesson, she saw children bring their new books and supplies, eager to use them.
Nicole first became involved with Operation Christmas Child after volunteering at its Charlotte processing center, where shoeboxes are checked before shipment. She later served as the Eastern Sandhills area coordinator for 12 years. Those years let her see the work from collection through processing, but the Kenya trip gave her a chance to see “the other side of the box.”
As Nicole transitions into a new position with Operation Christmas Child, the local work continues. When she took over, Eastern Sandhills covered six counties. Volunteer growth allowed the area to form three additional teams, leaving Eastern Sandhills with two counties. Volunteers serve throughout the year by connecting with churches and community partners, coordinating drop-off locations, praying for ministry partners and helping people prepare boxes. Michaela Smith is now the team’s area coordinator, Nicole said.
This year’s National Collection Week is Nov. 16-23. People can search by city or ZIP code on the Operation Christmas Child website to find a nearby drop-off site. Those packing a shoebox themselves are encouraged to give $10 per box to help cover shipping, processing, ministry partner training and gospel materials. People can also build one online for a suggested $30 donation, choose an age and gender group, and add a personal note and photo.
The online option is available year-round, and the $30 includes the $10 project-cost donation. For more information, visit https://bit.ly/4yUpW3t
A pencil cannot promise a child a particular future. But for a child who has never had one of their own, it can be a first step toward learning — and toward the possibilities that may follow.

(Photo: Children in Kenya receive their boxes from Operation Christmas Child. Gifts in the boxes include pencils, sunglasses, school supplies, hygiene products and toys. Photo courtesy of Nicole Nelson)