Although self-sacrifice and service are touted as main parts of the holiday season, it can be more than a teensy bit difficult to find ways to get involved. Luckily, Union College was able to provide such an opportunity for its students. You may have noticed the behemoth-like stack of shoeboxes in the Dick Building next to Campus Ministries. Over the past few weeks, they’ve been promoting the Operation Christmas Child program, with each student presented an opportunity to fill one up.

Operation Christmas Child is a ministry by Samaritan’s Purse, an international relief organization. The concept is to pack any shoebox you find lying around with multiple little items: toothbrushes, packs of pencils, small toys or even stuffed animals. You’re able to pick the age range and gender of the recipient, and your box will be handed out to a less-privileged child around the globe on Christmas day. It may seem simple and inexpensive, but it can make a world of difference for a little kid who can’t afford most of the items on their own. That’s the key to its effective ministry.

To ask how and why we get involved in this project each year as a campus, I reached out to our chaplain, Pastor Rich Carlson. “I think that the most important benefit would be the joy of sharing with some little child in a war-torn or famine-stricken country. The kids receive gifts while we receive the joy,” he said in an interview. “I participate with my grandchildren every year just to help them learn the joy of giving. Each year we have a truly incredible response. The Physician Assistant students are our most active group on campus when it comes to these sorts of events, and I’m incredibly grateful to them for it.”

Although the date for collecting the boxes has long past, I’m sure there will be other ways to reach out to our communities over the coming break. It may be intimidating, but it’s important to pounce onto those opportunities. It can really make a difference for someone else.

Drew Hickman is a sophomore studying communication.