STANDISH, ME - Members of the Saint Joseph’s College Student Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) participated in Operation Christmas Child, a global Christmas gift exchange project operated by Samaritan's Purse, last week.

The Saint Joseph’s SAAC, which features at least one representative from each of the Monks’ athletic programs, came together late last week to fill shoeboxes with toys and other items that will be shipped to less fortunate kids in multiple countries around the world.

The student-athletes gift-wrapped the boxes, which were filled with matchbox cars, coloring books, crayons, socks, toothbrushes and toothpaste, hats and mittens and various other items - all of which donated by SAAC members and athletic teams.

Operation Christmas Child, a ministry of Samaritan's Purse, provides an opportunity for people of all ages to be involved in simple, hands-on mission projects. According to the Samaritan's Purse web site, the mission of Operation Christmas Child is to demonstrate God's love in a tangible way to needy children around the world, and together with the local church worldwide, to share the Good News of Jesus Christ.

Since the beginning of Operation Christmas Child in 1993, countless individuals have shared their passion for the project and inspired families, groups, and churches to pack shoe box gifts. Samaritan’s Purse is an international relief organization that provides an immediate, no-red-tape response to the physical and spiritual needs of individuals in crisis situations—especially in locations where few others are working. Samaritan's Purse has worked in more than 100 countries to provide aid to victims of war, disease, disaster, poverty, famine and persecution.

From 1993 through 2008, some 69 million gift boxes have been handed out in more than 130 countries.