County 4-H program serves community

The Colorado County 4-H program met on Nov. 13 with the intent to provide some charitable donations and community service as they celebrated the holiday season with the spirit of giving.

The 4-Hers were asked to bring gifts to fill boxes for ‘Operation Christmas Child.’ The program members were able to fill 38 boxes to donate that will be sent to children in other countries such as Ukraine, Uganda and South Africa to bring holiday cheer to those in less fortunate circumstances.

Operation Christmas Child is a national initiative by Samaritan’s Purse to inspire people to donate gifts and items to children in need around the world. Participants fill up shoeboxes with their donations and gifts for children during the holiday season.

The first ever donation run occurred in 1993 when the president of Samaritan’s Purse, Franklin Graham, received a request from a man in England to provide gifts to Eastern European children. That first year, Samaritan’s Purse sent 28,000 shoeboxes filled with gifts to children in the Balkans for Christmas.

Since 1993, more than 209 million children in over 170 countries have received a shoebox gift through this program.

Pictured in the front row from left are Payton Lindemann, Kyle Hoffman, Sadie Cranek, Shane Cranek, Blaize Sams and Caden Koy. In the middle row are Jaliyah Rodriguez, Brina Kent, Lana Potter and Brooke Wanjura. In the back row are Dakota Lindemann, Mylee Moffett, Blessin Adams, Julie Gobert, Jack Dudensing, Jase Rau, Kase Weishuhn and Colten Koy.