WILDWOOD, Fla. – For some volunteers in The Villages, the best part of the day is visiting the Filler Factory at Live Oaks Community Church Southern Campus.
The Filler Factory is what they call their set-up for filling shoe boxes to send off to Operation Christmas Child. It’s a program the church takes part in with Samaritan’s Purse. This week, they’re expecting about 200 volunteers to help get those shoe boxes ready ahead of the holiday season.
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“We’re meeting to fill shoe boxes that people been working for a whole year, creating items to go inside of them. And these shoe boxes go with Operation Christmas Child around the world to reach needy kids, some of whom can’t even go to school without the school supplies included inside.,” said Dana Stark.
Stark is one of the Filler Factory coordinators, along with her husband, Tom. She said much of the congregation works to make these boxes special.
“So we start with school supplies. Of course, we buy those. And one reason we do this now is because school supplies are still on special pricing so we can reach more children. Then we also put in things that we make. So along with the notebook and pencils and pens, we put crayons, and then we put jump ropes that we’ve made and wooden toys and fabric kits and bows and just being kids, so many fun things and stuffed animals for the children,”
There are different teams; teams that cut and sand the toy cars, teams that add the wheels, teams that cut patterns for pencil bags and stuffed toys, and others that finish them off. The volunteers have it down to a science, packing hundreds of boxes down assembly lines.
“We’ve been doing this for 10 years,” said Stark. “And the first year we started, people filled their own boxes. The next year, it was 1,000 plus boxes that we made with the Filler Factory. Last year, we were able to fill our 100,000th box. So imagine the smiles on all those kids faces.”
This year, the church aims to fill at least 20,000 boxes. The coolest part is each box contains a personal, handwritten note from a congregation member.
“We have a personal note in every box. Sometimes it’s the most important thing the kids see because it really makes the connection that somebody around the world is thinking of them,” said Stark. “It makes me teary. I just know that it makes so much difference in these kids lives. So many times they’re hopeless, and this little shoebox brings them hope. They also get to know that not just we love them, but God loves them. And to me, that’s the most important thing.”
Once the boxes are packed, National Collection Week happens the third week of November to begin the process of getting them into children’s’ hands in 100 countries around the world.
“Then they arrive at processing centers around the country and other processing centers around the world, where they’re checked to make sure everything’s safe for the children,” said Stark. “And then they go out on container ships. They’re delivered by camel and donkey and cart and canoe all over the world. As long as it takes to get there. Usually they’re there the first quarter of the year. "
Sometimes the church hears stories from the kids that have received the boxes. Knowing they touched a child’s life is what keeps these volunteers going.
“One of the stories that came back to this was a young child, he was about 10 years old. He lived in West Africa, got a shoe box and had a bunch of things he really liked. It also had a scarf. And he couldn’t understand why God had provided him a scarf,” said volunteer Steve Eaton. “But he held on to it. When he turned 18, he got a green card to come to the United States and start working. His point of entry and where they had him working was Buffalo, New York, and he came in December. So he says, ‘God’s got a plan.’ It was like 10 years later, eight years later that he arrived and used that scarf. So it’s just amazing the different places these boxes go to and what it can do for young people all over the world.”
If you want to participate in Operation Christmas Child, there are several ways to be a part of it. The Starks and the Filler Factory have other upcoming packing dates at the Live Oaks Filler Factory and always accept donations. You can reach them at tstark1@ymail.com. People can also fill boxes at home-- you can visit SamaritansPurse.org to find instructions and drop-off locations.