Waconda High students volunteer with Operation Christmas Child
Forty-five Wauconda High School students helped process Christmas shoe boxes at the Operation Christmas Child processing center in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on Friday and Saturday, Dec. 1-2.
The processing center staff was elated when WHS students showed up to help pack gifts for children in Namibia.
Following Friday's shift, the volunteer coordinator noted that out of four high school groups volunteering that evening, Wauconda was the most productive. In fact, some of the students didn't want to take a break because they wanted to pack as many boxes as possible during their four-hour shift.
The students came back Saturday for another shift and didn't miss a beat. They were just as driven, and the processing center staff was sad to see the group go.
Sam Bianco, a senior at Wauconda High School, said, "Operation Christmas Child has been one of the most rewarding things that I have ever experienced. There is something truly magical about working with your closest friends and actively knowing that you are making a difference in countless lives.
"I was overwhelmed by the sheer amount of positive energy in the OCC processing center, and I would go back in a heartbeat if I were ever given the opportunity," Bianco said.
Raquel Acosta, a junior at WHS, said she packs shoe boxes for Operation Christmas Child every year. Last year she packed more than 100 shoe boxes, but found it rewarding to help at the processing center.
"I knew my outlook would completely change ... It wasn't about the boxes or the money; I learned it was about people. … it was about how this compassion can change lives, and to see the process on such a big scale and to see the full picture of what their mission is all about was amazing," Acosta said.
"Operation Christmas Child helped me experience what it was like to make a direct impact on the lives of children around the world," senior Emilie Washer said.
"To know that my hands were the last to touch a gift that a child will receive is an amazing feeling to have because I get to help instill hope and happiness in them. It was truly a rewarding experience for myself and for others."
"Operation Christmas Child was such an amazing experience," junior Carlye Pichman said. "It was incredible to see so many people wanting to help those who are less fortunate, and it was life changing to be a part of it. Knowing that I gave a child a special Christmas is truly heartwarming."
To learn more about Operation Christmas Child, visit samaritanspurse.org. Volunteers may pack a shoe box online, but for those who prefer to make one themselves, collection week is Nov. 12-19 in 2018.