GIFTS: Singleton Heights Public School students are taking part in the Christmas Box project where boxes of gifts for boys and girls are being wrapped for children in need throughout the world. Pictured with some of the boxes are (l-r) Piper Young, Josie Hatch, Bethany Howes, Ethan Newman, Ryan Jerkins, James Cadman, Amelia Griinke, India Hill and Tiahli Dixon.
TWO years ago Singleton Heights Public School sent 80 boxes of Christmas gifts to Cambodia for children who probably didn’t know what a toy was, let alone held one.
This year the school is again taking part in Operation Christmas Child and it wouldn’t surprise Janelle Cox if the school increased on its 2010 effort.
“We asked each class to provide one box for a boy and one for a girl but some of the classes have done more than that, some children have even put together their own boxes,” the kindergarten teacher said.
The boxes contain hygiene items such as toothbrushes , washes and towels, some contain clothing and toys such as balls, toy animals, pencils, pens and crayons.
On Wednesday the school held a mufti day to help pay for postage and at $9 a box, that alone will require a quite some effort.
The concept of Operation Christmas Child began in 1990 when a couple from Wales decided they needed to act after watching a broadcast on Romanian orphanages.
They knew they could not stop the wars but they could offer something.
They eventually filled a convoy of nine trucks with medical supplies, food, clothing and Christmas gifts for children and headed into Romania, which had recently been devastated by war.
This was the beginning of the world’s largest children’s Christmas program.
Samaritans adopted the program three years later and since then more than 61 million shoe boxes have been delivered to hurting children in more than 135 countries.
Mrs Cox said she was delighted the students had responded to the program with such enthusiasm.
Kindergarten student India Hill said it was important to be involved because the children didn’t have any toys at all.