Trinity students connected with children from around the world by packing boxes for Operation Christmas Child. Catha Huff, Trinity's third grade teacher, organizes the activity each year. This year, 214 boxes were shipped to Operations Christmas Child. These boxes will be combined with about 11 million more and distributed to kids who are victims of war, disease, poverty of famine. When they receive the box, not only do they get the contents of the box, but they are also taught about God's love for them and the gift of his love and grace.
Mrs. Huff and her third grade "Huddle," as she dubs her students, distributed boxes to members of the Trinity community. Families from around the building packed boxes and returned them to Mrs. Huff. Each third grade student also packed a box. Thrivent Action Teams were used to cover items to go in the student boxes and also to pay for shipping of the boxes packed by the third graders.
The boxes contain items like school supplies, personal care items, reusable dishes, hand towels and small toys, like dolls or balls.
This year, third graders spent time on Friday, Nov. 17, packing their boxes as a class. Donated toys, toiletries, pens, paper and more were laid out around the art room. Students formed a line and added an item to their box from each station. Then, the students were put into small groups to pray over the boxes for the children who would receive them and for those who are distributing the boxes.
"This is one of my favorite events of the year," Huff said. "It's truly an opportunity for the children to show the love of God. It extends beyond the walls of our classroom. So many families from our church and school community fill boxes as well. We are so grateful for everyone's support of this important project."
According to Samaritan's Purse, which runs the Operation Christmas Child project, the shoeboxes are a tangible way of showing God's love. The organization celebrates 30 years of ministry this year, and has delivered more than 209 million shoebox gifts to children in more than 170 countries and territories. For an additional $10, the families can track their box online to see where it ends up.
For those who don't have the time to pack a box, Operation Christmas Child offers the option of buying items online from the organization that will be sent in a box to a needy child.
Operation Christmas Child 2023
The Operation Christmas Child story is one of a series called Connected. Our school and Early Childhood Center focus their year around the theme Connected, based on Ephesians 4:16: “From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.” We are looking for ways in which the Trinity community is Connected. Stay tuned for more stories of connection throughout the year.