Cru and other organizations are coming together in hopes of making Operation Christmas Child one of Pace’s most successful events again.

Operation Christmas Child (OCC) is an event that is through Samaritan’s Purse, an international relief organization. Samaritan’s Purse has been the organization facilitating the involvement of events promoting the gift giving to children. In order to be a part of the National Collection Week for the Operation from Nov. 18 to Nov. 25, Pace will be having its own OCC.

The event is designed to box gifts in order for them to be sent to children who are less fortunate. The attendees of the event will box the donated items and prepare them to be sent for Christmas. Students and other organizations are asked to donate toys, school supplies, socks, hats and gloves or any item that would fit in the size of shoebox.

“These gifts go to impoverished areas of the world and for some of these kids it may be the only gift they receive,” Cru Vice President and junior communications and media major Kerene Edie said. “People don’t understand the power of a simple gift. We ask people to pack the boxes with love, with the things we would pack for ourselves when we were children. We are Santa Claus for these kids. It is also a tangible way of reaching out to those who may feel forgotten. These boxes also go to orphanages and foster homes.”

The event was originally created by Cru, formerly the Campus Crusade for Christ (CCC) and is cosponsored by many other organizations.

“Operation Christmas Child is an important event because we are helping children all around the world in poverty-stricken countries, where they lack the basic necessities that we have every day,” junior journalism major Lindsay Burgess said. “I love this opportunity to give and serve those who are less fortunate and this is Cru’s biggest event of the year.”

Last year, there were nine cosponsors for this event. This year there are between fifteen and twenty. Some of the organizations that will be helping in the effort to create a happy holiday for those less fortunate this year include: The AALANA Mentorship Program, The Gay Straight Alliance (GSA), The Population and Community Development Association (PDA), The Black Student Union (BSU), The Future Educators Association (FEA), Student Development and Campus Activities (SDCA), and Golden Key.

This will be the third year that the event will have been running. The first year, there were roughly 70 boxes packed for the children around the world, and last year there were 105 boxes packed. This year, Cru’s goal and mission is to make it to 150 boxes.

Edie explained that she introduced the idea of bringing OCC to Pace in her freshman year because of the impact that the program, through Samaritan’s Purse, was able to provide her. She described herself as being an example of someone that “came full circle.” The encouragement and help that organization gave her was what brought her to give back when she finally could.

“Some people do not understand how powerful giving is,” Edie said. “A simple box can change a child’s life. It is important to see how others lack and even if we don’t have all of what we want, we are still living a great life. I give because I know what it is like not to have, not because I have to give. Sometimes we feel like we have nothing to give. This is an opportunity to change someone’s life, maybe by just giving a washrag or toy or hygiene product.”

Operation Christmas Child will be held Fri. Nov. 15 at 7 pm. If students or organizations are interested in becoming involved, they should contact Cru Vice President Kerene Edie.