Operation Christmas Child: A Global Effort in Giving
In a heartwarming display of generosity, an extensive volunteer operation is underway at the new Mid-Atlantic Ministry Center in Windsor Mill, Maryland. Here, volunteers are diligently working to prepare over a million Christmas gift boxes for children worldwide. Led by Rev. Franklin Graham, the initiative seeks to impart the value of giving to the next generation of Americans.
During a dedication ceremony for Operation Christmas Child, Franklin Graham, son of the late Rev. Billy Graham, offered a prayer for the volunteers gathered at the expansive 80,000-square-foot center. More than 11,000 volunteers are participating in this project, which ends just before Christmas. They are filling shoeboxes with essential items like school supplies, personal care products, and toys.
Operation Christmas Child, a branch of the Christian missionary organization Samaritan’s Purse, collaborates with churches in the United States, Germany, the United Kingdom, Canada, and South Korea. The program, led by Graham as president and CEO, aims to deliver these thoughtful shoeboxes to children in regions such as Ukraine, Africa, and Asia.
Throughout the day, families and church groups packed boxes with gender-specific gifts such as dolls for girls and inflatable soccer balls for boys, along with writing supplies like pens and pencils. Notably, Ukraine is a primary destination for these boxes, with Samaritan’s Purse having established connections with over 3,000 churches there (source).
Graham expressed the importance of teaching children about generosity, stating, “I think one of the byproducts of all this is teaching kids in this country the importance of giving. You’re teaching another generation the importance of giving. America is the most generous and giving country in the world. Nobody gives like the United States.”
Volunteers are crucial to the program’s success, with participants coming from Maryland and ten other states. The initiative’s ultimate goal is to prepare about 12 to 13 million shoeboxes this year.
The organization works closely with local churches in recipient nations to gauge needs and decide if shoeboxes should be sent to specific countries through the Operation Christmas Child program. Volunteer labor helps minimize costs, making the program’s wide reach feasible despite expenses related to shipping and transportation.
Graham acknowledged the significance of the newly renovated facility, stating, “We give God the glory, and we thank Him for this facility.” Previously used for fraud investigations, the building underwent a $16 million transformation to become a permanent hub for this charitable mission.
“And you see what it is today,” he remarked. “We’re just grateful that we have a place now that people can come to every year. They know where it is, and they’ll keep coming back to the same place.”
This article was originally written by www.christianpost.com
