When Rayven Hockett’s Hanalei home was damaged in the April flooding, Samaritan’s Purse responded.
Crews ripped out and replaced walls and floors and restored it so she could return.
“They saved my house. It was incredible,” Hockett said. “It was quite badly damaged.”
Saturday, she returned the favor.
Hockett was one of about 100 people at a shoebox packing party at Breath of Life church to kick off this year’s drive to benefit Operation Christmas Child.
People filled 400 shoeboxes with hygiene items, school supplies, clothes and toys, all bound for boys and girls overseas. And that was just the start toward the goal of 3,335 shoeboxes. The drive wraps up with National Collection Week, Nov. 12-19.
“I think this is a wonderful ministry,” Hockett said. “I never knew about it until Samaritan’s Purse called me on the phone and offered to help me after the flood.”
Since 2011, Kauai has contributed about 20,000 shoeboxes to OCC, which has sent about 157 million shoeboxes to keiki in 160 countries since it began in 1992 under Samaritan’s Purse, a Christian organization led by Franklin Graham.
Mike and Christina Ensman are back as area coordinators for the eighth year.
They’re the starting point for OCC that has the support of many churches, businesses, community groups, families and individuals, as all fill shoeboxes and deliver them to the dropoff points at Breath of Life and North Country Calvary Chapel.
The Ensmans traveled to Colombia a few years ago and got to witness children opening the boxes. It’s that delight on their faces that drives the Ensmans to give hundreds of hours each year to this program.
He said most of the children who get a box have never received a gift. Most live in poverty.
It’s not just about providing presents. It’s also about sharing their faith, too.
“The selfish part of it is just to see the joy on the kids’ faces when they get to open a box,” Mike Ensman said. “It shows the love of God in a tangible way.”
“I know the gospel is being sent through the shoeboxes,” Christina Ensman added. “It’s a tool God is using.”
More than 100,000 volunteers nationwide will be involved during National Collection Week.
People are welcome to pick up a shoebox, fill it with items for a boy or girl, and return it. A $9 donation is requested to cover the cost of shipping each box.
“It’s that massive amount of volunteers that allow us to ship a box for only $9 to anywhere in the world,” Mike Ensman said.
Last year, a record 3,165 shoeboxes were donated on Kauai. This year, the Ensmans believe 4,000 is possible.
Already, they have more than 300 boxes from a packing party in Hanalei earlier this year. And another 300 were being packed up Saturday.
“More people are hearing about it and wanting to help,” Mike Ensman said.
HenoHeno Valeria, one of the volunteers, was arranging the stacks of toys for the packing party. There were stuffed animals, toy cars, dolls, balls, flashlights, necklaces and bracelets.
She held up some toy planes and smiled.
“The craft ministry made these. We have a lot of talented people in this church,” she said.
Stephanie Ellis has been a faithful contributor to OCC for three years, and this year, she has already packed 84 boxes.
She buys gifts all year when she sees great sales, and fills the boxes as she goes. When she visits the mainland, she makes a stop at the dollar store to stock up, too.
She knows there are children around the world who have nothing, and she wants to send a little love their way.
“I feel good helping other children,” the Lihue woman said. “This brings joy to children.”
The last day to contribute a filled shoebox is Nov. 19.
To get involved, call 651-4371.
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Bill Buley, editor-in-chief, can be reached at 245-0457 or bbuley@thegardenisland.com.
