Given that many find themselves in a charitable mood in this festive time of the year, the Operation Christmas Child packaging party, held on Tuesday, Nov. 13 in the UC Ballroom, offered an opportunity for students and faculty to log community service hours or merely offer a helping hand to a good cause.
The annual event here at UTM is hosted by the Collegiate 4-H and drew students from all over campus to participate either on behalf of various clubs or to fulfill community service obligations. The event also serves as a chance for freshmen to earn credit hours for their General Studies 101 class.
Beginning at 7 p.m., the event ran for several hours with snacks provided by Sodexo for those who attended the packing party. This is the fourth year the UTM 4-H has participated in Operation Christmas Child.
Operation Christmas Child is run internationally by Samaritan’s Purse, a non-denominational, Christian, humanitarian aid group, operated by the evangelist Franklin Graham.
The shoe-boxes will be shipped to over 150 different countries and territories around the world, primarily in developing countries in the global south.
Local event coordinator, Chad Lewis, a senior Agriculture Education major from Halls, said, “Many times this is the only toothbrush or bar of soap they’ve ever received. It’s neat to give to so many in this project.”
A crowd of over 170 people, including some lofty personalities within the institution such as Chancellor Keith Carver and Justin Crowe the UT Extension Specialist and Tennessee 4-H Leader, successfully packed around 218 shoeboxes.
“OCC is a wonderful, annual event that provides our campus with an opportunity to give back to those who are less fortunate,” Carver said. “Hollianne and I are honored to be involved and look forward to this event each year.”
Many churches in the Martin community such as First Baptist Church of Martin, are joining in on the packing by sending out their own shoe-boxes. FBC Martin has already packed over 400 boxes to send out.
From Martin, these boxes will be delivered all over the globe to children in need.
Over 170 students and Faculty helped pack shoe-boxes. Photo credit/Keith Carver
