Processing Centre Review Part 3 | Operation Christmas Child 2024

[@shannasimms3828]

I pack bulging boxes. I hope items are not removed. Thank you for the video. Maybe I will try not to overfill next years

[@Kit.Nicole]

If the box is able to squish flat that’s fine! We tried really hard to rearrange the boxes to fit better, and I’ve heard now some places will send the box to the shoebox hospital to see if they could put it in a bigger box.

[@patriciagriswold6060]

In Franklin Graham's book, there is a story about a box that only had multiple pairs of white socks. The child that happened to receive the box had a skin disorder on his feet, and he needed to wear white socks😊

[@Kit.Nicole]

@ that is so awesome

[@SavingADimeAtATime]

I made it to the end. I am rearranging my OCC room.

[@Kit.Nicole]

Haha awesome! Good for you!

[@bernievandewalker1420]

Thank you for your caring processing.

[@Kit.Nicole]

Thank you too!

[@Etan-5]

How bulging does a box have to be before they remove things? I’ve never heard of that being done. 😢 Thanks for sharing your experience!

[@Kit.Nicole]

The box needed to be able to squish flat. We tried to rearrange the contents first before removing any items. If the box still couldn’t squish flat then we could remove an item. (For the one box I showed, I was able rearrange it slightly and remove some packing in order to get it to squish flat).

[@elena-n5q]

Love your new desk buddy and of course the very informative video as a whole. I am always wondering how things work at the processing centres. So I love the insights you youtubers provide. Thx! 😊

[@Kit.Nicole]

Thanks and you’re welcome Elena!

[@eastcoaststories]

I think the Calgary processing center is huge! The tall shelves. I really liked the tool kits. Thanks for sharing your experience at the processing center which is similar to everyone working there. More appropriate filler and more packed shoeboxes. I bought the same ornament!

[@Kit.Nicole]

I wouldn’t be surprised if your centre ends up getting tall shelves like that too!

[@sarahschreffler5407]

We had a LOT of boxes delivered to our drop off center without labels. The drop off center itself ran out of labels so we told the people dropping it off not to worry -- that the processing center would add them.

[@Kit.Nicole]

Wow. Hopefully the people at your processing centre are able to identify them correctly

[@drogers]

Congratulations on your first processing experience! It sounds similar to many but a bit concerning. Removing items from a box because it is bulging is not allowed in the U.S. If necessary, the items are sent to the shoebox hospital for a bigger box. As you mentioned about keeping the doll inside the box to protect the integrity… that is also true for a bulging box. I’m curious if the direction came from your coach and if she was a year round volunteer or a temp? Also curious as to why the coloring book was removed? Was it scary? We are not permitted to remove an item in the U.S. if we don’t care for it. We don’t know the intention of the sender and maybe the recipient has an older sibling that would be overjoyed with that item. Just my honest thoughts Nicole. I am thrilled you were able to go and get a full experience. And now you also see the need for fillers. Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts. And I did listen to the end! ❤

[@Kit.Nicole]

Thanks Denise. I don’t know the root source of our lead’s direction so I can’t comment fully on it. There was only one box that came across our table where it was an issue. As for the colouring, it did seem scary for a 2-4 year old so that’s why it was removed. For the filler I think because we were in between the day and evening shifts it didn’t seem too great. Based on what I saw on the tour there was still a ton to sort out!

[@beckypetersen2680]

Thank you so much for the details. I was also wondering about the filler situation and how you were able to fill boxes. Also the percentage of boxes that you all had to add things to. You do pack super boxes. I also wondered where you were from. Thank you for your work, and testimony.

[@Kit.Nicole]

Filler didn’t seem too great at first, but I think that was because my volunteer shift was right in between the day and evening staff shifts. Based on my tour though, there was still a lot of filler that they were sorting through! As for boxes that needed filler: I would say that it was about 50/50. We’d go through waves of full boxes and boxes that’d need a little more.

[@susanseiber3218]

It’s so fun to see where the boxes go!! Mine went to Colombia and Ukraine 🇺🇦.

[@Kit.Nicole]

I wish I could see where mine were going!

[@susanseiber3218]

@ I wish you could too. It’s another level of connection. You can mark on a map where they have gone.

[@BLESSEDandOCCobsessed]

This is why we do what we do with our unboxings videos, to educate and inspire others who don’t know what we know. I became a church project leader and year round Connect Volunteer with the church relations team to hopefully help others pack. When you stated you were given permission to redistribute/remove items my heart sank. Here in the US that is NOT ok. That breaks the integrity of the box. I am curious did that come from the table lead or OCC floor manager/employee with Samaritan’s Purse?

[@Kit.Nicole]

To be honest, I’m not sure the exact source of the direction. It was stressed first to try to rework the box first before removing anything from it. It is possible that earlier in the day there may have been an issue with the overstuffed and bulging boxes.

[@fedwards2023]

Hi Nicole, Thank you for sharing your reflections. When I saw your first Vid., I wanted to come join you. Australia, like Calgary, is small and thus so familiar. Likewise, what you said. Each dedicated Shoebox packer has their own signature, and it can be hard not to see Showboxes of a similar standard. However, I feel blessed to have the opportunity to add some extra love and complete a shoebox as intended. But, I have been cheeky and taken Filler from the another table. Like you, I was advised not to do so. So, I would be careful about "smuggling" in little treasures. 😊

[@Kit.Nicole]

Haha thanks Fiona! I glad I’m not the only one being a little cheeky with the filler 😆 You definitely have to switch mindsets when working there. I know now for next year to just look first for the inappropriate items/monies first and then focus on the need for filler second 👍

[@jettj6088]

I put my labels in the middle of boxes. Forgot about the taping in the middle. I think the box with tools probably was for a girl since it had a Barbie in it. Girls build stuff too.

[@Kit.Nicole]

Absolutely yes! Girls do build stuff. But in the story I told that box was marked for a boy. Yes, it’s easy to forget where to put the labels, especially if you’re using an old GO box or a regular box 😆

[@AllyBen-w7m]

I actually read a story once about a boys box that had a Barbie doll in it. It was kept in the box and it went to a boy and when he received the box he was crying. He wasn’t crying because he had gotten the box he was crying because he had an older sister and she hadn’t been able to receive a box for whatever reason. He opened his box and there inside was a Barbie doll and he had a special gift to give to his sister.

[@dwiebe77]

Thank you nicole for sharing this video. I too was at the processing center with pam. Glad you two met on the plane and had a great conversation. Merry christmas to you❤

[@Kit.Nicole]

Thank you! I was happy to have met Pam!

[@mikefriesen9369]

You did add filler to those boxes? Did they have lots of fillers???

[@Kit.Nicole]

Yes, we added filler to the ones that needed it! From what I saw on the tour, there a lot of filler to be used. Since my shift was later in the day and between shifts, there was still a lot of filler that need to be sorted and put out

[@mikefriesen9369]

Why can you not bring your own filler to use at your station????

[@fedwards2023]

It is because of OCC protocol. OCC also maintains an inventory of stock, including re-donated inappropriate items. Generally, there is a preference to turn over older stock or make use of stock in abundance.

[@Kit.Nicole]

Fiona summed it up very well. This also helps to ensure that no inappropriate items are being smuggled into the boxes

[@markmyers5881]

@@Kit.Nicole Or accidentally added. :)