ACS students, faculty, and staff recently participated in Operation Christmas Child and filled 69 shoeboxes to bless children this Christmas. The project was organized by 12th grader Jake DeNick as his Senior Project and concluded on November 18. The shoeboxes will be distributed around the world during this Christmas season by the ministry of Samaritan’s Purse.
Jake chose this initiative to be his Senior Project as part of a year-long Senior Project Class. “I’ve been participating in Operation Christmas Child for many years with my church and I’ve always enjoyed doing it,” Jake said. “I wanted to give the school community the chance to do it with me.”
During the week of October 24, Jake made presentations at several teacher meetings about his project and brought shoeboxes to hand out to teachers interested in doing the project with their students. By the end of the project, 13 classes from preschool to high school decided to participate, along with over a dozen of ACS faculty and staff members.
“This project is an opportunity for children in foreign countries to have a Christmas who don’t normally get to have a Christmas, while also getting to learn about the Bible,” Jake said. Each shoebox sponsor had the opportunity to choose if the box was for a boy or girl and to choose the age range, either 2-4 years old, 5-9 years, or 10-14 years old. The shoeboxes were filled with their choice of toys, school supplies, and personal care items. When Samaritan’s Purse distributes them to the children they also take the opportunity to share the Gospel.
Jake’s Senior Project class is facilitated by faculty member Daniel Vasquez. Other seniors are working a variety of Senior Projects, all with a community service focus and utilizing their individual gifts and talents. Part of each project also includes writing a letter of intent, writing a research or reflection paper, and doing an oral presentation to the class.
