2017 goal: Helping more than 60,000 children in four countries
CrossCatholic.org/BoxOfJoy
Contact: Kevin Wandra,
404-788-1276
BOCA RATON, Fla., Sept. 20, 2017 /Christian Newswire/ -- Cross Catholic Outreach's Box of Joy ministry is gearing up to put Christmas smiles on the faces of more than 60,000 children, all of whom live in dire poverty in Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Guatemala and Nicaragua. The Box of Joy ministry is in its fourth year, tripling and surpassing their goals every year and giving families, churches and individuals the opportunity to help children experience the joy of Christmas in places where gifts are rare or nonexistent due to poverty.
"While gift-giving is not the meaning of Christmas, it does help us remember the reason for Christmas — the birth of Jesus — and how our Lord received gifts from strangers," said Jim Cavnar, president of Cross Catholic Outreach. "Serving Jesus through helping these children experience the joy of opening up presents is a beautiful way to show the love of Christ, and to see that love reflected in their happy faces."
Last year, through the efforts of 315 participating Catholic parishes, schools and groups across 48 states utilizing 73 drop-off centers, Cross Catholic Outreach collected and delivered gift-filled Boxes of Joy to over 31,712 children in Haiti, the Dominican Republic and Guatemala. Nicaragua has been added this year, and the ministry’s goal is to reach at least 60,000 kids.
Watch the 2017 promo videos: 60-Second PSA (bit.ly/2wypIou) and Long Version (bit.ly/2wHcbWV).
Catholic parishes, schools and groups nationwide organize Box of Joy by packing the boxes with small gifts like toys, dolls and racecars, and adding essentials like soap, pencils, toothpaste and toothbrushes, as well as a few treats like hard candy and coloring books. Participants include $9 in each box to cover shipment from the local Drop-off Center to the child. Boxes are then dropped off during Box of Joy Week, November 4 to 12.
"Some kids live in homes without electricity or running water," says Most Rev. Thomas J. Rodi, Archbishop of Mobile. "Some kids live in homes with dirt floors. Some kids live in the most impoverished areas ... and never receive a Christmas present. Fortunately, we have an opportunity to make Christmas brighter for these kids through the Box of Joy ministry. Together, this Christmas let's tell kids in the most impoverished of situations that they are loved by sending them a Box of Joy!"
Cross Catholic Outreach piloted the Box of Joy ministry in 2014 with just two dioceses participating. Every year, the number of churches and groups has grown exponentially and this year is expected to continue growing as churches and families see Box of Joy as a tangible way to show love and compassion to children in dire need.
The 2017 Box of Joy campaign kicks off in September and groups deliver gifts to their local drop-off centers during Box of Joy Week, Nov. 4-12, 2017. Any group that misses Box of Joy Week can ship their gifts to the National Screening Center in Miami. Here is the full 2017 schedule. To learn more on how to engage your students or parishioners in reaching needy children through Box of Joy, please visit the website.
To learn more, visit CrossCatholic.org/BoxofJoy. For additional information and press materials, or to schedule an interview, please contact Kevin Wandra (Kwandra@CarmelCommunications.com or 404-788-1276) of Carmel Communications.
Visit CarmelCommunications.com for:
- Box of Joy Media Tip Sheet
- Cross Catholic Outreach Fact Sheet
- Q&A with Cross Catholic Outreach President Jim Cavnar
About Cross Catholic Outreach CrossCatholic.org
Based in Florida, Cross Catholic Outreach is an official Catholic nonprofit 501(c)(3) relief and development organization that, since its founding in 2001, has given more than $1 billion in aid to help “the poorest of the poor” in more than three dozen developing countries in Africa, Asia, Latin America, the Caribbean and other parts of the world. For more information about Cross Catholic, visit CrossCatholic.org or call 800-914-2420.
