Shoebox gifts from Van Horn headed to those in need

As Thanksgiving Day approaches, U.S. families are expressing their gratitude by giving back. They are filling shoeboxes with fun toys, school supplies, and hygiene items to send to children in need around the world. For many of these children, it will be the first gift they have ever received.

CCAISD fourth grade teacher, Gracie Fuentes organized the humanitarian effort here where students and their families donations filled over 100 shoeboxes for Operation Christmas Child. In addition, Mrs. Shoppe involved the cheerleaders and Mr Esparza’s Government class also helped this year. Students from PreK-12th grades and staff donated and came together for a common goal. Pam Young will deliver the boxes to an El Paso drop-off location this week.

During Operation Christmas Child’s National Collection Week Nov. 12 – 19, local residents will collect shoebox gifts at drop-off locations in their city. The Samaritan’s Purse project, partnering with churches worldwide, will deliver these gifts to children affected by war, disease, disaster, poverty and famine.

“We believe these simple gifts have the ability to send a tangible message of hope to children facing difficult circumstances,” said Operation Christmas Child Senior Domestic Director Randy Riddle. “It is exciting to see communities come together to share the Good News of Jesus Christ with millions of boys and girls around the world.”

This is a nationwide effort to help children around the world. More than 150,000 U.S. volunteers including families, churches and other groups are joining forces to contribute to the largest Christmas project of its kind. In 2018, Samaritan’s Purse hopes to collect enough Operation Christmas Child shoebox gifts to reach 11 million children, with 9.1 expected to come from the U.S. alone.

Operation Christmas Child is a project of Samaritan’s Purse, an international Christian relief and evangelism organization headed by Franklin Graham. The mission of Operation Christmas Child is to demonstrate God’s love in a tangible way to children in need around the world, and together with the local church worldwide, to share the Good News of Jesus Christ. Since 1993, Operation Christmas Child has collected and delivered more than 157 million gift-filled shoeboxes to children in more than 160 countries and territories.