Members of the Belmont community came together for the sixth year in a row to collect presents to donate to children in need around the world. Operation Christmas Child (OCC), the world’s largest Christmas project of its kind, exists to ensure that children around the world receive a special Christmas blessing — a shoebox full of ‘wow’ toys, hygiene items and school supplies. Faculty, staff, students and alumni spent the past few months packing their own boxes to be delivered worldwide.
Groups and departments across campus participated, encouraging each other in friendly competition to gather the most boxes. The Office of Alumni Relations, among others, hosted a packing party where alumni, staff and students gathered together, bringing their collected items and finalizing their boxes.
Vice President of Spiritual Development Dr. Todd Lake said the opportunity to participate in OCC is one way Belmont can share Christ’s love during the Christmas season. “Every year our students, faculty and staff fill hundreds and hundreds of shoe boxes with toys and hygiene items which are shipped—along with 12 million other shoe boxes—to indigenous church partners in third world countries who distribute them to poor children in their communities. This is one small way we at Belmont live out our mission to be a blessing to others.”
