Church Volunteers Pack Thousands of Gifts for Children
By: Sujata Khandelwal
Updated: November 8, 2012
HAGERSTOWN, MD - Some Washington County residents are packing lots of love into a small space by donating presents to children this holiday season.
"A lot of the children live on city dumps, and they have nothing," says volunteer Dottie Stover. "And for most of the children this is the very first present they've ever received."
Volunteers say it's made possible through Operation Christmas Child, an international project that's been going on for years. The Good Shepherd Ministries collects toys, toothbrushes, flip-flops and all kinds of other items year round. Volunteers pack the boxes by gender and age.
"It just seems to be a miraculous way to reach the impoverished of the world," says Brenda Smith, a volunteer.
Volunteers spent three days packing boxes with necessities and toys, and in just a few days 1,600 boxes will join 3,000,000 down in Charlotte.
"Most of them thank us for the toys," says Stover. "They've never had a toy before. They've never had a piece of candy. Most of the children say thank you for school supplies. Now, I can go to school."
"We had a video of a little boy that was excited about receiving a shoebox, and he jumped around and screamed and hollered about this shoebox, and he went over and kissed it, and he hadn't even opened it," says Jeanette Ebersole, another volunteer.
Volunteers say while it's heartbreaking to hear those stories, it's just more reason to pack one more box.
"You just want to touch one more life," says Stover.
"We just want them to know that someone in the world does care about them and loves them," says Smith.
The church takes donations year-round.
"A lot of the children live on city dumps, and they have nothing," says volunteer Dottie Stover. "And for most of the children this is the very first present they've ever received."
Volunteers say it's made possible through Operation Christmas Child, an international project that's been going on for years. The Good Shepherd Ministries collects toys, toothbrushes, flip-flops and all kinds of other items year round. Volunteers pack the boxes by gender and age.
"It just seems to be a miraculous way to reach the impoverished of the world," says Brenda Smith, a volunteer.
Volunteers spent three days packing boxes with necessities and toys, and in just a few days 1,600 boxes will join 3,000,000 down in Charlotte.
"Most of them thank us for the toys," says Stover. "They've never had a toy before. They've never had a piece of candy. Most of the children say thank you for school supplies. Now, I can go to school."
"We had a video of a little boy that was excited about receiving a shoebox, and he jumped around and screamed and hollered about this shoebox, and he went over and kissed it, and he hadn't even opened it," says Jeanette Ebersole, another volunteer.
Volunteers say while it's heartbreaking to hear those stories, it's just more reason to pack one more box.
"You just want to touch one more life," says Stover.
"We just want them to know that someone in the world does care about them and loves them," says Smith.
The church takes donations year-round.
