On Christmas morning, many wake up and rush to their Christmas tree to find endless, colorfully wrapped gifts that magically appeared there overnight. Many are grateful for the gifts from families and loved ones, however, for others, the wrapping can hide the sad truth of what Christmas is like for many others in scarce countries. With many families unable to give their kids the Christmas that many desire, Operation Christmas Child (OCC) awakens every year to give those kids a smile and a memorable gift.
Operation Christmas Child is a yearly gift collection drive that is commonly hosted in the month of November. With just a shoebox, families can fill the box to the brim with school supplies, personal care products, and fun toys that will be delivered to children in less fortunate areas so they too can have a gift under their tree. This allows many families to give back to the countries in need and for some, give these young children their first-ever Christmas gift.
This year, many PPCHS students participated in Operation Christmas Child for many different reasons. Junior Gabriella Gittens has been participating in OCC since she was in elementary school because she “wanted to make a difference in undersupplied communities.” With many students dedicating their time to formulating these shoeboxes, they’re all truly making a difference in giving these unfortunate homes a bright and jolly Christmas.
This event is special not only because it is one some have been participating in for many years, but it allows less fortunate kids across the world to receive a gift during the holiday season. In these countries, “kids are able to access gifts and necessities,” Junior Giada Porven explained. The OCC shoeboxes can be filled with necessities like shoes and soap that many families are sadly unable to afford. This is a time of not only giving these kids gifts, but also giving them the necessities they need to move forward with their daily lives.
Many students making these shoeboxes include items such as notebooks, pens, pencils, deodorant, and many more depending on the age they decided for their shoebox. Porven created boxes specifically for teen girls, so she put in “essentials like deodorant, bracelets, makeup, and things that would make a girl feel like a girl.”
Not only does this event help aid the community, but it gives children and teens a smile because it makes the rough times just a little easier. After years of doing this event, Gittens enjoys giving back “to communities that are not as blessed, and it is amazing that I can have a little part to make their day better.”
OCC can also be seen as very eye-opening to many, and it has made many PPCHS students grateful for the roofs they live under and what their parents can give them. Since she is able to give her time and afford to fill these boxes for another girl like herself, Porven is “grateful that [she] can share this with someone else.”
These nights that PPCHS students have dedicated to organizing their boxes and dropping them off have had them all leave with a new understanding of this event. “I feel so empowered after learning the meaning of the event because I felt like I was really making a change in their community for the better,” Gittens describes. Seeing the video that shows what these volunteers are capable of doing while OCC is traveling and giving these gifts to the kids truly shows how much this event can impact lives.
The meaning of the event wasn’t the only thing that changed for students, but also changed the perspective of Christmas and the holiday season to many. With many kids grateful for their new presents left underneath the tree, this wasn’t the only change of perspective that was seen. Porven mentions how it reminds her of the true meaning of Christmas: “Christmas isn’t only about giving, it’s about sharing.”
As PPCHS’ Operation Christmas Child closes its door with yet another successful year, the front office of the school remains filled to the brim with boxes that will all be given to underprivileged countries and communities. Being able to give these kids a bright smile on their faces for the holiday season is what makes this event worth every penny spent. Showing a new understanding of Christmas and giving to others, their shoeboxes will soon make a kid’s whole year.
