By: Jada Pan, Staff Writer
On October 29th, the WOW Christian Club held its annual Operation Christmas Child packing party, spreading kindness and the Christmas spirit to all. This year, the event was held in front of the auditorium as members of the club gathered to pack necessities and additional products into Christmas presents. These boxes are set to go to less privileged communities, both locally and around the world.
Operation Christmas Child is a Samaritan’s Purse project where volunteers pack shoeboxes with thoughtful gifts for children in need. Dana Yan (11), treasurer of WOW, described the packing process, highlighting how a personal note in each box made the gifts even more special to the recipients. “There’s also a handout you can write about yourself, and then you place that in there. You craft the box to a certain age group and gender,” said Yan.
On these notes packed in each box, the volunteer writes their name, who they are, and where they are from. The president of WOW, Warren Shiu (12), explained the purpose behind these personalized messages. “Whoever receives the gift knows who we are, and they can feel free to reach out to us if they want to write back as pen pals.” This way, the club not only gives back to the community but also connects with all its recipients on a personal level.
The boxes are filled with essentials ranging from personal care items to school supplies as well as Christmas toys to spread holiday cheer to children. Natalie Lo (11), secretary of the Christian Club, shared what specific items were packed into the boxes. “This year we got a bunch of donations from the church, and it was toys, hygiene products, and stationery. A bunch of things that those children in need can’t really afford, or they don’t have the privilege to have those things in their life and it goes to them.”
To organize the packing event, Shiu reached out to the local church, which provided the necessary materials. The church holds its own packing event on a larger scale every year, and any surplus items are then shared with the WOW Christian Club. While their church packs about 200 to 300 boxes every year, the club packed around 30 boxes this time and made the most out of the materials received. “We kind of mirror what they do but on a smaller scale, just for our club,” said Lo.
Simultaneously, the club covers the shipping expenses themselves with their club fund, primarily earned during the school food fairs. The money for shipping is then contributed to the church to coordinate with the foundation.
While there is no specific location that these boxes will go to, boxes from previous years have been received by those who are underprivileged around the world. “I know some get shipped to places in South America, Africa, and some European countries,” said Yan. “Last time when I packed a box, and I got the tracking. It went to somewhere in South America. And then another year it went to somewhere in Korea.”
Altogether, the club’s Operation Christmas Child packing event saw great success this year as far more volunteers had contributed this time around. Next year, the club hopes to improve further by collecting donations so even more boxes can be made for children in need. “I think people have extra toys or stuff they don’t use anymore at home [or] brand new stuff they got as a kid that they never opened,” said Lo, “I think we should encourage others to bring that so it can go to people who need it and will use it.”
Shiu also emphasized the importance of increasing volunteer participation for future events. “One thing is we can definitely do a little bit more social outreach about the project and give more information online because this year was kind of underground and obscure,” said Shiu. “Next year, I think I’d want to tell whoever the future president will be to try to get more people in general. And if we do that, we can pack more boxes and contribute to the church more than we did this year. That’d be great if we just help out as much as we can.”
Operation Christmas Child is a heartwarming and valuable experience for volunteers, as many find it rewarding to help others during the holiday season. “I think there’s also a fun aspect of gift giving and spreading the Christmas cheer,” said Lo. “It just gets you in the festive mood. I think that’s a large part of packing the boxes too—not [only] for the recipients but also fulfilling for you as well.”
