“Recipients of shoe box gifts recall the joy Operation Christmas Child brought - Chicago Tribune” plus 1 more |
| Recipients of shoe box gifts recall the joy Operation Christmas Child brought - Chicago Tribune Posted: 25 Nov 2010 03:50 AM PST Valery Bianco recalls sitting in a room in a Russian orphanage seven years ago as a child when a man walked in with startling news. "He said, 'They're giving away (shoe boxes), and you're supposed to get one,'" said Bianco, who now lives in Prairie Grove. When he received his shoe box, covered in Christmas wrapping paper, he didn't waste a moment pondering what was inside. He ripped it open to discover a toy car that flipped whenever it hit a wall. "I never saw a toy like that before," Bianco, 16, remembers thinking of one of the few toys he could call his own. "I played with it every day. I took it everywhere." Delivered in the signature container, the toy was anonymously sent to him through Operation Christmas Child, a global effort that ships gifts packed in shoe boxes to children victimized by disasters, war or poverty. Last year, 8 million children received the boxes, according to the group's Web site. Organizers expect to collect 56,000 this year in the Chicago area. Bianco received another shoe box while at the orphanage, as did his sister Marina, before they were adopted three years ago by Joan and Dean Bianco. The shoe boxes have come full circle. Moved by the lasting impact of their gifts, Valery and Marina have helped pack hundreds of them to ship overseas. "There are millions of children in the world that need shoe boxes and need love," said Marina, 13. Although only 6 at the time, she recalled that her shoe box was filled with a toothbrush, toothpaste, a tiny stuffed animal, stickers, a coloring book and crayons. She reminisced about holding the pink-and-purple toothbrush up to her mouth and growling like the dinosaur that adorned it. Joan Bianco was amazed to hear about her children's experience, particularly because she and her husband had been sending shoe boxes abroad for roughly 10 years. "We had no idea who was receiving them," she said. "It was so wonderful that … they received the boxes from people who remembered them." Randy Riddle, Operation Christmas Child's domestic director, calls it a "light bulb" moment when something sparks the memories of children who realize they received a shoe box when they lived a world away. For many, he said, it's their most valuable gift — if not their first. "The toys eventually break," said Riddle, who is based in North Carolina. "The candy is eaten, but the impression lasts forever in the minds of these children." Ligia Coarda experienced her epiphany moment last year when she heard about Operation Christmas Child on the radio. It took her a few moments to realize the shoe boxes they spoke of were the same as those she received as a little girl in Romania. "I was so happy," said Coarda, 27, of Chicago's Ashburn community, who shipped her own shoe boxes to unsuspecting children this year. "I don't know if I cried tears of joy, but I can't explain how I felt at that age to know somebody was thinking of me." Previously, her parents scraped up enough money to get Coarda and her three siblings oranges and bananas for Christmas, which she described as delicacies. Among the treasures she received in her shoe box was a palm-sized notebook that she still has tucked in a box with letters from loved ones. Operation Christmas Child is a project of Samaritan's Purse, a Christian relief organization led by the Rev. Franklin Graham. In addition to the delight the boxes bring, they also are intended to convey the Christian meaning of the holiday, Riddle said. Along with each box comes a separate pamphlet about the birth and life of Jesus. For the first time, the group is offering online shoe boxes for $35 to pack and send at samaritanspurse.org/occ. With a few clicks of the mouse, donors can select a child's age and gender and shop for a variety of toys and clothes. With their online Build-A-Box program, there's even an option to include a personal note and upload a picture, said Connie Pfeifer, an Operation Christmas Child coordinator in the Chicago area. "It is taking something that nobody needs and turning it into a joyous gift," said Pfeifer, of Libertyville. As Operation Christmas celebrates its 17th year, the Biancos and Coarda are among about 30 across the county who received shoe boxes as children and are now in the U.S., Riddle said. "These kids never really had anything," Dean Bianco said. "Having somebody out of the blue sky tell them you mean something to us, this is something for you — they can't believe it." This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service — if this is your content and you're reading it on someone else's site, please read our FAQ page at fivefilters.org/content-only/faq.php |
| Lucky Wang NYC Kids Apparel Arrives at AJPanda.com - YAHOO! Posted: 24 Nov 2010 08:59 AM PST AJ Panda is happy to announce they now carry Lucky Wang NYC apparel for children. Saint Louis, MO (PRWEB) November 24, 2010 In an effort to further expand their product lineup, AJ Panda is now offering children's apparel by Lucky Wang NYC. Lucky Wang's Asian-inspired designs are famous for their fun and hip look, bright colors, and durability. Some of the new items AJ Panda is carrying include playsuits, jackets, onesies, and kimono tops. AJ Panda currently offers an assorted selection of children's apparel like cheongsams, dresses, pajamas, jackets, and shoes. The hope is that the new Lucky Wang apparel will bring a better variety of clothes for parents looking for Asian clothing, but not necessarily strictly traditional pieces. "We really wanted to expand our product line, but with a better emphasis on quality and style. Even kids want to look great and parents want an apparel line on which they can depend," quotes Marjie Trautt, general manager of AJ Panda. Lucky Wang apparel is currently on the site and is expected to be a big boost for Christmas sales this year. Most apparel is offered is sizes from 0-3 months up to size 6. Visit AJ Panda at ajpanda.com. About AJ Panda: AJ Panda is an ecommerce site that sells Chinese cultural gifts, with a special emphasis on families who have adopted from China. The goal of AJ Panda is to help families celebrate Chinese culture. To that end, they offer Chinese home décor products, apparel, books, DVDs, jewelry, toys, and more. AJ Panda also maintains an extensive resource guide with information on Chinese history, culture, and traditions. You can follow AJ Panda on Twitter and Facebook. AJ Panda is headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri. ### Marjie Trautt This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service — if this is your content and you're reading it on someone else's site, please read our FAQ page at fivefilters.org/content-only/faq.php |
| You are subscribed to email updates from kids shoes - Bing News To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now. | Email delivery powered by Google |
| Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610 | |
0 comments:
Post a Comment