October’s Hurricane Matthew devastated Haiti, killing hundreds and destroying crops. It goes without saying that Haitian children could use a little joy in
their lives. Through Box of Joy ministry, organized by Cross Catholic Outreach, you can give them a Christmas gift.
Steve Bostian, director of Box of Joy, told the CatholicMatch Institute, "We have a commitment from our Catholic ministry partner in Haiti to reach at least 7,000 children with Boxes of Joy, and we plan to make sure that at least half of those children are in the hurricane-affected areas of the southern peninsula."
He says, "Box of Joy works through established Catholic missions in each country that are committed long-term to work with the poorest of the poor." The program began in 2015, and it serves children in Haiti, Guatemala, and the Dominican Republic.
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These children, who would otherwise receive nothing for Christmas, experience great joy at receiving small toys, hygiene items, school or art supplies, and hard candies packed in shoeboxes.
A little boy in 4th grade named Hamilton was one of those children. Last year, he and his mother were thrilled to receive a Box of Joy. It had been years since she had been able to give her son a gift. "Hamilton’s mom was extremely grateful with God and with those who made Box of Joy," shares Bostian.
Beyond being poor, the family had struggled because of Hamilton's illness. "He had meningitis, which causes him to seizure and has affected his hand, so he cannot pick things up. Hamilton also lost an eye during an accident, and he cannot speak," he explains.
Packing Your Box of Joy
Beginning in 2015, Box of Joy partnered with thousands of Catholic schools and parishes in the U.S. Prior to that, shoebox gift drives for impoverished children had primarily been spearheaded by Protestant churches and organizations.
If you would like to give a Box of Joy to a child like Hamilton, here are some guidelines: before collecting small gifts to fit into a Box of Joy, choose the gender and age of the child you are buying for (the age range is between 2 to 14) and be sure to label your shoebox or plastic box (approximately 12” x 5”). If there's a participating school or parish in your area, you can get a specially designed shoebox from them.
For each Box of Joy, include $9 in an envelope, which will cover the $7 shipping and handling from Drop-off Center to the child's country, and $2 to support the life-saving ministries of those working with the children.
Drop-off sites
You can find one of their 62 drop-off centers across the United States. If one is not available in your area, boxes may be mailed to “Boxes of Joy to MIQ - Box of Joy Screening Center, 11210 NW 91st St, Miami FL 33178” by November 15th, 2016.
Too busy to go shopping?
“Create-a-Box Online” will pack and send a box for you. The cost per box is $25 plus $9 for shipping and donation.
