Operation Christmas Child Shoeboxes Packed by Maleno in Erie PA

Once again, Maleno partnered with Operation Christmas Child (OCC) to pack 500 shoeboxes for needy children around the world.  Maleno first became involved with this Samaritan's Purse project five years ago when someone at her church mentioned it to Natalie Washburn, Broker/Owner.  "When I heard that many of these children have never received a gift, I knew we had to be a part of this wonderful organization," explained Natalie.  Operation Christmas Child is a project of Samaritan's Purse, an international Christian relief and evangelism organization headed by Franklin Graham. The mission of Operation Christmas Child is to demonstrate God’s love in a tangible way to children in need around the world, and together with the local church worldwide, to share the Good News of Jesus Christ. Since 1993 Operation Christmas Child has collected and delivered more than 168 million shoeboxes to children in over 160 countries and territories. 

"We're grateful to our employees for getting behind this project, from donating items, getting the word out, and volunteering their time to help pack shoeboxes," said Natalie. "The generous donations and support efforts from our fantastic customers, friends, and family members enable us to stretch our goal, year after year."  Maleno is thrilled to partner with OCC, an exceptional organization whose values align with the company's.

Over a three week period, donations were dropped of at the Maleno Property Managment office, where family member Cristina Ras took on the heavy task of counting and sorting, to ensure each shoebox was filled with enough quality items to bring joy to the children. Calamari's Squid Row, a local restaurant in Erie, PA donated space for the packing party event.  Over the course of the evening, volunteers enjoyed tasty hors d'ouevres, built boxes, organized an assembly line, and packed the boxes.  Acting as joyful "elves" were 18 children, aged two through twelve, who took part in the activities.

Talks are underway with the Erie Rams Basketball team to participate next year.  Perhaps the new goal will be 1,000 shoeboxes!  Stay tuned....