Women’s Ministries members of the Albany Church invited local church members to imagine the child-like joy of boys and girls as they open presents on Christmas morning. Members were told, “Now imagine that joy magnified tenfold as a child who has never received a present, a child who has suffered because of war, natural disaster, poverty, illness, or neglect, receives a shoe box filled to overflowing with gifts.”
To capture that joy, shoe box-sized plastic boxes were made available for church members to fill with small toys, school supplies, hygiene items, candy, items of clothing, hair clips, books, and much more. Labels were supplied to designate whether the box was suitable for a boy or girl from ages 2–4, 5–9, 10–11, or 12–14 years.
Initially, 60 boxes were placed on the Women’s Ministries table. All were taken within minutes by members eager to fill them. More boxes were made available the following Sabbath. By the Nov. 23 deadline, 117 boxes were filled to overflowing and quickly sent on their way to bring joy to needy children in third-world countries for Christmas 2002.
Albany Church Women’s Ministries Committee (from left), Coralie Cole, Judy Van Tassel, Dolores Wright, Joy Miller, and Louise Warren, alongside joy-filled boxes ready for shipping to needy children.
