Utah volunteers aim to fill thousands of shoeboxes for global children

National Collection Week for Operation Christmas Child runs from November 16 to 23. During this period, churches, schools, and businesses across Utah gather shoeboxes filled with toys, school supplies, and hygiene items for children in more than 100 countries.

Karolen Weber, a year-round volunteer for the initiative in the Salt Lake area, noted that approximately 80 churches in the region participated last year. She stated that stakes feel higher this year due to rising costs. Weber explained that school supplies are critical for children in recipient countries because families must provide their own materials to attend school.

"If you are in a family that is struggling financially, finding the money for those school supplies can be quite a bit of a hardship," Weber said. She added that most recipient nations face poverty, disease, war, or famine, and for many children, these boxes will be the first gift they receive.

The drive relies on local participation to maintain the cycle of giving. In Draper, ten-year-old Josie of Corner Canyon Church was packing a box with toys and supplies. She described the excitement of opening a present as the primary motivation for her involvement. "It doesn't mean some of us are higher than others and other ones are lower," she said. "We should help everyone."

Christy, a speaker for Operation Christmas Child who grew up in the Middle East, serves as a direct link to the recipients. She received her first box at age nine. The teddy bear inside left a lasting impression on her.

"I looked at it and I looked at its eyes and I went It has its eyes on straight. You could go anywhere in my country and not find a teddy bear with its eyes on straight," Christy said. She later discovered her connection to the program when she dropped off boxes with her family and mentioned her childhood experience to a volunteer.

The initiative continues to expand its reach through these personal stories. Participants aim to deliver these packages to children who have little to nothing, ensuring that basic needs like school supplies and personal hygiene items are met for the holiday season.