When Yulia Shubina, 25, was growing up in Central Asia, a simple toothbrush was considered a luxury. In her family everyone used the same toothbrush. Imagine her excitement upon receiving a shoebox filled with gifts the likes of which she’d never received before. She shared her story with members of the parish of the United Methodist Church of Sea Cliff on Saturday, Sept. 30, made possible by Operation Christmas Child. The nationwide project sends a message of hope to children all across the world living in poverty, where there is disaster, and war.
On “packing day,” volunteers fill shoeboxes with toys, books, school supplies, and hygienic products to be shipped out to local churches in different countries. The shoeboxes then find its way into the hands of children in need, inspiring joy, a feeling that local OCC volunteer, Bonnie Watkins, feels every child should experience.
Watkins, who has lived in Sea Cliff for eight years, started her journey with the project as a way to get her children involved in the community. “It’s great when they help fill a shoe box for a kid who’s just like them,” she said. “With each shoebox comes an opportunity for the kids to hear that someone loves them, and they wouldn’t get that any other way [if not for this project].”
In early winter of 2001, Shubina’s father came home from the orphanage he was volunteering at with two shoeboxes. Samaritan’s Purse, the international relief organization that created OCC, was providing aid to her home country and distributing shoeboxes to the volunteers supporting its efforts.
Shubina, then nine, saw the purple container but waited a while before unveiling the contents inside. When she finally built up the courage, she opened the shoebox, and was greeted with a small, stuffed puppy. She shared this plush treasure with her sister, cousins, and friends, since toys were a rarity. Another item she received that she said ended up making a mundane task her favorite activity was bubblegum flavored toothpaste. Shubina was also given an Etch-a-Sketch, which she said was kept at first kept on display in her home. That’s because she and her sister initially had no clue how to use it.