STANDISH, Maine – For the fifth-consecutive year, members of the Saint Joseph's College Student Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) gathered and packed items for Operation Christmas Child, a global Christmas gift exchange project operated by Samaritan's Purse.

The Saint Joseph's SAAC, which features representatives from each of the Monks' athletic programs, gathered on Sunday, November 6th to fill shoeboxes with toys and other items that will be shipped to less fortunate children, ages 2-14, in multiple countries around the world.

The student-athletes assembled the boxes, which were filled toothbrushes, tooth paste, wash cloths, socks, hair accessories, toy cars, stuffed animals, pencils, crayons, coloring books, bouncy balls, and various other items – with every item having been donated by SAAC members and SJC athletic programs.

With the help of Committee Advisor Tiffany Miller-Gagnon, the SJC SAAC members assembled 39 total boxes, four more than the amount submitted by the group last winter and more than triple the total sent in 2014. Their contribution was added to the shipment – of 58 boxes - made by Royal Ridge Church of God in Scarborough, Maine. Samaritan's Purse provides a tracking feature so the SJC SAAC members will learn where each package was sent.

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.

2016 Operation Christmas Child Photo Gallery