CARIBOU, Maine — Thousands of children in the world will receive little boxes of Aroostook County kindness this Christmas through an expansive gift-giving drive conducted by local churches.
Operation Christmas Child, a project of Samaritan’s Purse, takes locally-filled shoe boxes filled with gifts, toys and trinkets — some essentials, some whimsical — and brings them to needy children around the globe.
Charlis Sullivan of Caribou was charged with overseeing the collection and shipping of shoe boxes this year, and it was the first time that the Caribou United Baptist Church served as the shipping hub for Operation Christmas Child.
“People are so generous, and seeing everyone care so much really restores your feelings about humanity,” said Sullivan, who also is director of adult education in Van Buren. “It’s a simple shoe box, but you open it up and take a look — only God could make something like that turn into such an amazing thing.”
Collection of the boxes — which exceeded 2,000 three days before the shipping container was sent out last Monday — was facilitated by a handful of dedicated volunteers, such as Bob Thomas.
Thomas’ late wife, Ellie Thomas, organized the Operation Christmas Child collection for the Caribou United Baptist Church for eight years, but last year, she became ill. Dedicated to mission work, Thomas worked through the collection season and even started the process to make her church the regional collection site. In fact, it was Bob Thomas’ wife who talked Sullivan into spearheading the initiative this year.
Sullivan is passionate about the mission work being done through Operation Christmas Child and emphasized that these individually-made shoe boxes reach out to the poorest of the poor all around the world.
“A missionary, who went to deliver the packages to the children, told me that children were eating hot rice out of their hands and recommended that we put little bowls or cups in the shoe boxes so the children could get more rice, and they wouldn’t have to eat this hot rice out of their hands,” Sullivan said.
Shoe boxes came in from all corners of The County, such as the ones delivered by 6-year-old Avery of Presque Isle. Accompanied by her mother and three sisters, Avery said it’s better to give a present than get a present.
“It makes us feel good,” she said.
Her box contained shoes, a little bit of candy and some toys, such as a puzzle and an ornament.
Thomas said his wife loved Operation Christmas Child and would be very pleased.
For information about Operation Christmas Child, visit www.thegreatestjourney.org.