Life Care operates more than 200 skilled nursing homes, assisted living facilities, retirement living communities, home care services, and Alzheimer's centers.
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Operation Christmas Child
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About the Program
Operation Christmas Child is a project conducted by Samaritan's Purse, a world relief organization headquartered in Boone, N.C., and headed by Franklin Graham, son of evangelist Billy Graham. Participants fill a shoe box (or sturdy box of comparable size) with a mix of small toys, hard candy, school supplies and personal hygiene items such as toothbrushes, toothpaste and soap. They are also encouraged to include a picture of themselves to create a personal connection. In addition, Samaritan's Purse asks that participants tape $7 to the inside of the box top to cover shipping and transportation charges.
Life Care's corporate office and many of its facilities have a supply of the pre-printed boxes, bearing the Operation Christmas Child logo, available to the public free of charge. Individuals or organizations wishing to pick up these boxes may contact their local Life Care center. Also available is a supply of brochures that offer suggestions on what to include and what not to include, and the labels to attach to each box, indicating whether the gift is for a boy or girl and the age group.
During the 2008 Shoe Box collection season, Life Care facilities nationwide collected 211,511 shoe boxes, thanks to the generosity of schools, churches, civic clubs, businesses and families who believe in the program.
You can drop your completed shoe box off at any of our buildings around the country. Visit the Locations page on this site to find a facility near you.
The History of Life Care's Involvement
Life Care became involved with Operation Christmas Child after Founder and Chairman Forrest Preston and his wife, Kathleen, were watching television one night in the fall of 1995. The program featured hundreds of needy children in war-ravaged countries excitedly receiving Christmas gifts from Samaritan's Purse.
Inspired by what they saw, the Prestons addressed Life Care's executive directors at the company's Annual Management Meeting in October, encouraging them to participate in Operation Christmas Child at their facilities. The goal was for each facility to collect a gift-filled shoe box for each nursing facility bed or assisted living and retirement center apartment.
The response was overwhelming. In its first year to participate, Life Care facilities nationwide sent nearly 20,000 shoe boxes full of gifts overseas with Samaritan's Purse.
To further participate in the project, Life Care has held a drawing each year to choose representatives from its facilities to travel with Samaritan's Purse to hand-deliver the gifts.