Icemen gather gifts for children worldwide

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Rachelle Coleman
  • 354th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
EIELSON AIR FORCE BASE, Alaska --  Icemen gathered for a time of fellowship, wrapping presents and listening to Christmas music during the base chapel's 5th Annual Operation Christmas Child here, Nov. 12.

Operation Christmas Child is an annual outreach of Samaritan's Purse, an international Christian relief and evangelization organization. The gifts donated are sent to children in desperate situations in more than 100 countries. Each year, millions of boxes are packaged with toys and candy as well as practical items such as toothbrushes, soap and other toiletries.

"These children live in situations where they've lost hope of any type of peace or good in the world," said Monica Ybarra, Catholic Parish coordinator. It's just such a good ministry and in the local area there are so many churches involved but there's one focal point where gifts are dropped off in town and then the churches take care of everything from there."

All that was asked for a donation: seven dollars and unwrapped shoeboxes with coloring books, crayons and small toys. Donors picked the age of the child they wished to donate their toys to and wrapped the shoebox. Volunteers also had the choice of including their name and address in case one of the recipients would like to send them a letter.
The base chapel works with a local church in North Pole who donated several full boxes ready to be shipped to children around the world.

"There's so much bad going on in the world that a lot of these kids have never experienced anything like this and this will be the only gift they've ever gotten. These children that receive these boxes have never experienced that. It's nice to have this every year," said Ms. Ybarra, for which the OCC has become a family tradition.

"I am a helper and giver by nature so when I read about OCC at the Chapel I wanted to be that volunteer," said Airman Richelle Nico, 354th Medical Group Flight Medicine emergency medical technician. "I think that participating in this was important because everyone who was involved in any way made a difference."