Operation Christmas Child

By Elias Taveras

With Christmas just around the corner David Nunez, a junior biology major of Buffalo State College from New York, worries about children around the world who were not given the chance to have a decent Christmas. 

 “I am of Bolivian decent and it breaks my heart when I go back to my ancestor’s country to see that the majority of parents do not have enough money to get toys for their kids,”   said Nunez. “It makes me happy that I have the chance in my own school to help out kids around the world.”

Members of the E-board 

Nunez says that he feel happy to be able to give a kid somewhere around the world a similar Christmas than the one he had. Nunez traveled to Target around the school to buy toys for a boy. He brought three toy cars and and an action figure. These were two of his favorite toys growing up.

Nunez said that he feels happy that InterVarsity facilitated him the opportunity to give kids around the world a normal Christmas.

Operation Christmas child is an annual event that gives students the opportunity to help underprivileged kids around the world.

The event is hosted annually by the InterVarsity Christian Fellowship. This year it was hosted on Thursday from 6 pm to 8 pm. This organization is founded by the United Student Government.

Every year InterVarsity’s mission is to pack boxes of toys for children across the world who are not receiving anything, said Julie Brown, the president of InterVarsity and a junior sociology major from Long Island.

“We just want to provide students with the chance to help out kids around the world,” said Brown. “The wonderful thing about our program is that we give students the opportunity to help out in our own Buffalo State College community.”

Before the event InterVarsity encouraged students to go to Dollar Tree and buy the toys that were going to be donated. Students were also told to bring seven dollars to cover international shipping fees.  Finally, all students had to do was attend the event that would serve as a box packing ceremony.

Omar Glaze, a junior criminal justice major from Long Island, said that to him every child should have the same opportunities and privileges.

“Christmas is my favorite holiday of the year and I would like for every child around the world to enjoy it just as much as I did,” said Glaze.

Kathelyne Pena, a senior sociology major from the Bronx said that in her box she would not be putting toys for the kids.

“Instead of toys I wanted to give a child around the world the opportunity to learn by putting in the box school supplies,” said Pena. “Toys only put emphasis on materialistic ideals, with school supplies I am given the children a chance to better itself.”

InterVarsity also gave students the opportunity to personalize their boxes that were going to be sent out to a child around the world.