Communities battered by Hurricane Helene are not just rebuilding their lives, they are stepping up to bring joy to children worldwide this holiday season through Operation Christmas Child, a program of the evangelical humanitarian aid organization Samaritan's Purse.
Every holiday season, Americans unite to bring smiles to children in need through Operation Christmas Child. Volunteers fill shoeboxes with essentials, school supplies, and toys for children worldwide, especially those facing war, poverty, or disaster.
This year, the organization aims to collect enough shoeboxes to reach 12 million children.
Since its inception in 1993, Operation Christmas Child has distributed over 220 million shoeboxes across more than 170 countries and territories.
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"This project started with just 11,000 shoeboxes in 1993, and this year we hope to reach 12 million children around the world with the hope of Jesus Christ," said Rev. Franklin Graham, President of Samaritan's Purse. "This is only something God could do and we give Him the glory for each and every one of these Gospel opportunities."
Samaritan’s Purse, based in Boone, North Carolina, faced major challenges after Hurricane Helene devastated the region. The humanitarian aid ministry responded by distributing thousands of heaters, generators, blankets, and winter supplies.
Samaritan’s Purse has also completed the largest civilian airlift operation in American history to relieve those affected by Hurricanes Helene and Milton, completing 358 missions so far. Their ministry includes an army of over 30,000 volunteers -- or, "orange shirts" – mudding out homes, cutting down trees, and clearing debris.
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Hurricane Helene also destroyed thousands of shoeboxes already prepared for children in North Carolina.
Despite their losses from these storms, communities remain committed. Families, school groups, and churches continue packing boxes, determined to share the joy of Christmas with children in need.
A church in the mountains of North Carolina, where Rev. Graham attends, saw its youth building flooded. Fortunately, the shoeboxes had been packed and moved out just in time.
Rev. Graham praised the resilience of the community, saying, "I’ve never seen anything like the people here. They’ve lost so much, but they continue giving the gift of hope to children around the world."
Churches and families devastated by Helene have shown incredible determination. Cherry and Mark Brumbelow of Texas, who experienced similar losses during Hurricane Harvey, traveled to North Carolina to encourage others.
"When we saw what was happening here, our hearts were burdened. We prayed to the Lord and asked what we could do to help," Cherry Brumbelow said.
Their small church of 55 members has already packed 15,000 shoeboxes this year and sent over 1,400 on behalf of storm-affected communities in western North Carolina. One such community is Lake Lure Baptist Church, which flooded during Hurricane Helene.
Lynda Poe, the Operation Christmas Child drop-off team leader, described one Lake Lure church member’s harrowing survival story.
"He was trying to stay in the house as long as he could. The river rose faster than he was able to anticipate, so he got in his truck and it started floating away," said Poe in a release. "By the grace of God, it got caught on a rock, allowing him to escape. His house was flooded and they had to tear it down."
More churches like Spruce Pine First Baptist Church in North Carolina are going above and beyond. In addition to serving as an Operation Christmas Child drop-off location, the church has distributed supplies to those in need and served over 40,000 meals to local residents and volunteers.
First Baptist Church in Damascus, Virginia had catastrophic flooding during Hurricane Helene which washed away the Operation Christmas Child shoeboxes that children had been collecting all year.
"I didn’t get to the church until two days after the flood because we had roads washed out. A lot of people couldn’t get out of their houses," said Angie Fritz, Operation Christmas Child project leader for First Baptist Damascus. "Everything was surreal."
"God made a way for us," said Fritz. "We’re excited to still get this opportunity to pack Gospel opportunities."
National Collection Week is still on schedule from November 18–25 despite these devastating storms, with over 4,700 drop-off locations across the U.S. and Puerto Rico.
"I’m grateful to God for each and every person who has been a part of Operation Christmas Child," said Rev. Graham. "One couple said they packed shoeboxes using a candle while their power was out in the storm, and when another woman’s home started to flood, the first thing she ran into her basement to save were her shoeboxes. There are so many stories here of people who love God, love their neighbors, and love children around the world."
Samaritan’s Purse encourages everyone to join this mission of hope by visiting samaritanspurse.org to find a drop-off location near you or learn how to pack a shoebox.
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