Box of Joy!
Bless children around the world with a Box of Joy – it may be their first gift ever! Get started below.
Delivering food, shelter, and hope to the poorest of the poor
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Box of Joy
Bless children around the world with a Box of Joy – it may be their first gift ever! Get started below.
GIFT BOXES FOR
POOR CHILDREN
Send Joy Around the World!
It may be their first Christmas gift ever
The Box of Joy ministry provides teachers, parish leaders and other Catholic groups with a simple and tangible service experience that has a material and spiritual impact on the poorest of the poor in developing countries.
In 2019, Catholics united to bless over 75,334 children in developing countries with a Box of Joy. For many of these children, a Box of Joy – filled with toys, clothing, school supplies, a rosary and the Story of Jesus – was the first Christmas gift they ever received.
How It Works
Select a Project Leader
(October 30 deadline)
Your group chooses a Project Leader, any adult who is excited about mobilizing Christmas joy! The Project Leader registers the group and the number of children the group wants to bless with Boxes of Joy.
Organize
(October)
- The Leader will receive a Project Leader Kit from Cross Catholic Outreach. Each kit includes materials for a successful faith-in-action activity. The Project Leader holds a kick-off event in October to engage and motivate their Box of Joy group.
Shop & Pack
(October)
- Project Leaders and their groups shop for children’s gifts and pack the Boxes of Joy. Each group member includes a $9 donation in each box to cover the cost of shipping and to support the priests and nuns ministering to these children.
Fill Boxes of Joy
(Nov. 7-15)
This main event occurs during Box of Joy Week (November 7-15). All Box of Joy group members bring their Boxes of Joy to your group’s meeting place.
Organize
(Nov. 7-15)
- The Project Leader delivers the Boxes of Joy to your area’s Drop-off Center. Prior to October, an interactive map showing the locations of all Drop-off Centers will be posted here and will include address, contact info for each Drop-off Center Coordinator, and schedule of collection hours.
Blessings Are on the Way
(Christmas 2020)
- The Boxes of Joy are shipped to the children in greatest need around the world. In 2019, Box of Joy participants blessed over 75,334 children in seven countries who received a Box of Joy!
Select a Project Leader
(October 15 deadline)
Your group chooses a Project Leader, any adult who is excited about mobilizing Christmas joy! The Project Leader registers the group and the number of children the group wants to bless with Boxes of Joy.
Organize
(October)
- The Project Leader will receive a Project Leader Kit from Cross Catholic Outreach. Each kit includes materials for a successful faith-in-action activity. The Project Leader holds a kick-off event in October to engage and motivate their Box of Joy group.
Shop & Pack!
(October)
- Project Leaders and their groups shop for children’s gifts and pack the Boxes of Joy. Each group member includes a $9 donation in each box to cover the cost of shipping and to support the priests and nuns ministering to these children.
Fill Boxes of Joy
(Nov. 2-10)
This main event occurs during Box of Joy Week (November 2-10). All Box of Joy group members bring their Boxes of Joy to your group’s meeting place.
Deliver
(Nov. 2-10)
The Project Leader delivers the Boxes of Joy to your area’s Drop-off Center during Box of Joy Week.
Blessings Are on the Way
- The Boxes of Joy are shipped to the children in greatest need around the world. In 2018, Box of Joy participants blessed over 58,000 children in five countries received a Box of Joy!
2018 impact
YOU ARE TRANSFORMING LIVES
Box of Joy is a way to demonstrate Christ’s compassion to poor children in developing countries. When families in the U.S. pack Boxes of Joy for children in poverty, it teaches generosity, thankfulness and cultivates a servant’s heart.
Through this experience, Catholic families gain a greater awareness of poverty and have the opportunity to take action.
Box of Joy is a way to demonstrate Christ’s compassion to poor children in developing countries. When families in the U.S. pack Boxes of Joy for children in poverty, it teaches generosity, thankfulness and cultivates a servant’s heart.
Through this experience, Catholic families gain a greater awareness of poverty and have the opportunity to take action.
Each child who receives a Box of Joy also receives a booklet in their own language that tells the story of Jesus. This ensures each child receives the message of eternal hope found in Christ while furthering the evangelization of the Catholic Church around the globe.
Provide hope to children in need
Little Dulce Maria’s face (pictured) knew about Christmas, and her family attended church, but Dulce Maria had never received a Christmas gift. Her first Christmas gift was a Box of Joy, packed with love by a family in the U.S. The box meant more than the possessions in the box, it was a spiritual gift of love in the name of Christ.
Cross Catholic Outreach
Our mission is to mobilize the global Catholic Church to transform the poor and their communities materially and spiritually for the glory of Jesus Christ. Your gift empowers us to serve the poorest of the poor by channeling life-changing aid through an international network of dioceses, parishes and Catholic missionaries. This cost-effective approach helps to breaks the cycle of poverty and advance Catholic evangelization.
