Operation offers gift of hope

The shoe boxes have been stuffed and are ready to be shipped to needy children all over the world.

People, businesses and organizations from around the north country donated thousands of shoe boxes full of presents for needy children in this year's Operation Christmas Child at New Life Christian Church, Stateway Plaza.

The weeklong giving event ended Sunday and organizer Patricia C. Jennings said she thinks this year's donations have surpassed last year's, which reached more than 1,200 boxes.

Operation Christmas Child is part of Samaritan's Purse and is hosted by churches and organizations in nations across the world. New Life Christian Church, which had donation locations at its Depauville and Watertown locations, has been a part of the program for more than 10 years.

Those who wish to donate shoe boxes must chose the gender and the age of the child they want to donate to. They must then fill a regular-size shoe box with gifts like toys, hygiene items, school supplies, candy and letters of encouragement. Each box must also include a donation of at least $7, which covers shipping and project costs.

"These boxes give children hope," Mrs. Jennings said. "The kids who get these boxes realize that someone loves and cares about them and that God loves them. It's important for us to give because, as a nation, we have so much and to be able to give in a way that's so simple that anyone can do it, means a lot to these children."

She said that she has many families come to donate boxes because children also enjoy packing the shoe boxes to send to kids like them across the world.

"Children can reach out to children who they don't know to give them such a simple gift that will mean so much," Mrs. Jennings said. "They know that they've helped someone and it teaches them about the importance of giving to kids less fortunate."

Julie A. Brennan, of Clayton, has been helping with Operation Christmas Child for about 13 years, and Sunday she and her family were on hand at the church to help get the shoe boxes ready to ship off.

"It reminds us that a simple box can do so much," she said. "My kids get very excited when they go to buy for their Christmas child. They think, 'I know my 15-year-old girl will love this gift.' It really helps them identify with the child they're buying for."

Mrs. Brennan's daughter Katherine J., 17, enjoys helping with the project every year.

"It really makes you look beyond yourself and it's a chance to connect to people who need your help," Katherine said.

Chriss E. Fuller, of Fowler, runs the relay center at Fowler Baptist Church. At the relay center, Mrs. Fuller takes in the donations, packages them into crates and then brings them to Watertown at the end of the week. Mrs. Fuller dropped of more than 20 crates of shoe boxes Sunday at New Life Christian Church.

"This is such a wonderful mission," Mrs. Fuller said. "Every year we get more and more donations and every year we are more and more blessed. It's that giving, Christmas feeling, except for it's at Thanksgiving time."

She said she likes that churches of every denomination can get together to make a difference.

"It brings the churches together for one focus — to make sure children know they are loved," Mrs. Fuller said. "These are children that rarely receive anything so to be able to help them with such a simple gift is just amazing. I just hope these children know that someone cares about them."