STANDISH, Maine – For the 7th annual event, 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 team, gathered on Sunday, November 11th 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 with items such as washcloths, 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 40 total boxes. Their contribution was added to the shipment 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.

The amount of items received by the SAAC members was overwhelming. Therefore they were also able to donate a bag to Royal Ridge, three bags of toys to Operation Christmas Child, and a bag of healthcare items that will be sent with a member to Guatemala on a service trip this winter.

2018 Operation Christmas Child