Sharing Shoe Boxes
By: Hope Wilkos, Writer/Blogger
Photos: www.southernsavers.com, Operation Christmas Child Facebook Page, www.timessquare.com
Operation Christmas Child is a holiday blessing for less fortunate children in the world.
Life-sized shoe boxes are magically appearing all over New York City and you never know when you might spot one at Ground Central Station, in the Fashion District, Chinatown, Fifth Avenue, Flatiron District, Herald Square, Little Italy, Rockefeller Center, SoHo and Times Square.
Volunteers have been coming in from all over the country asking Americans to volunteer to pack shoe box gifts for needy children around the globe. What makes this whole initiative unique is that the volunteers are dressed as life-sized shoe box gifts representing one of 100 countries signifying where children will receive these special gifts.
Many of these volunteers are impacted as they have been recipients themselves at one time. Oksana Nelson, now 21, hails from a Russian orphanage and Operation Christmas Child impacted her life in a large way. She now resides gratefully in the United States.
The mission of Operation Christmas Child is to display God’s love in a tangible way along with the local church worldwide. There is no time like Christmas to put a bright smile on a child’s face and bring them happiness. Over 86 million shoe box gifts have been delivered since 1993.
The 2011 goal for Operation Christmas Child is to collect enough shoe box gifts for 8.5 million children.
Why not participate and get a feeling of satisfaction in knowing that you made a child’s dream come true. All that is required is to take an empty shoe box, fill it with toys, school supplies and gifts fit for a boy or girl, aged 2 – 14 years old at one of over 3200 collection points in 50 states.
To mark an end to the collection process, a mega-shoe box packing party will take place at Madison Square Garden. In 3 hours, 5,000 shoe box gifts will be packed which could reach over the Empire State Building twice over.
There is no better time to spread love, joy and happiness to a child in need at a giving time of the year.
Visit Operation Christmas Child for more information.
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