Diocese of Gary

CROWN POINT – Box of Joy, a ministry of Cross Catholic Outreach, is on track to reach a remarkable milestone -- 1 million gift boxes delivered to children around the world for Christmas since 2014. Within the Diocese of Gary, St. Matthias has contributed to the effort by organizing an event that brings volunteers together to assemble and fill hundreds of boxes.

Jackie Gentry, pastoral associate and religious education director, greeted volunteers as they arrived at St. Matthias on Nov. 7, ready to lend a hand to the Box of Joy initiative. She explained the parish is not new to Box of Joy and has participated for the past several years. The church learned about the opportunity when a mission speaker from Cross Catholic Outreach came to St. Matthias and spoke about the organization’s work around the world.  

“We loved the opportunity to offer something that parishioners of all ages could take part in,” Gentry said.

The Box of Joy event continues to grow with support and participation each year. Through word of mouth, individuals, families and parish ministries come together to enjoy a morning of service. When the project began at St. Matthias, only a few participants sorted items and about 75 participants built boxes. This year, dozens participated in sorting and over 100 were anticipated to build boxes on event day.

The Christmas gifts are sent to children in developing countries such as Peru, Guatemala and Malawi who may have never received a Christmas gift before. Each box is thoughtfully filled with toys, clothing, school supplies and various other gift items.

The Box of Joy event at St. Matthias is unique in that participants purchase the gifts while also giving parishioners, friends and family an opportunity to come together in a festive event and build the boxes together. Any participant of any age was invited to feel the joy of filling the boxes, coloring a special note to include and ensuring that, as a community, it prepared over 300 boxes for shipping.

“It’s a fun social opportunity while still providing a great service,” Gentry said. “It is also a great reminder of how blessed we are to enjoy many of the items regularly in our own lives that others might receive as a once-in-a-lifetime luxury.”

Jackie Wallace, volunteer coordinator, described Box of Joy as a joyful event that helps parish families, especially children, put boxes together that are then shipped overseas, where the gifts are distributed. She noted the personalized coloring pages, especially those done by the children, are a key part of the assembly process. It allows children in another country to receive something special from someone their own age.

“It's just wonderful to be able to give them something in the holiday season,” Wallace said. “We have been doing this for quite a few years now, and each year just gets bigger and bigger and bigger. The parishioners, when we do a call out, are just amazing. Our room is always overwhelmed with boxes from Amazon.”

Liam, 8, and Jacob, 5, Burke, along with their father, Bill, walked through the tables of items set up in the parish hall, selecting gifts to complete their boxes. The two boys are members of the local Cub Scouts, Crown Point Pack 48, which has assisted with the project since its beginning.

Bill Burke said participating in the event is a way for the scouts to give back to the church for its support and for allowing them to meet there throughout the year. He added that it also reminds them of the importance of serving others.

“They get the opportunity to help other people who might not have as much for Christmas,” he said. “It's a good experience for them to learn about that.”

Annalis Hecimovich was also among the volunteers who perused the tables, looking for the perfect items to make her gift box as cheery holiday music played. The 10-year-old shared why she wanted to take part in the church activity.

“It makes me feel good to help people that don’t get to have a Christmas,” she said.

Another young Crown Point faithful, Brady Hylek, shared similar sentiments.

“It is a tradition we always do,” he said. “It makes me happy to help the poor.”

For more information about St. Matthias, and to view upcoming events at the parish, visit stmatthiasparish.net.