The students at Montrose Christian Montessori School (MCMS) recently experienced the joy of giving by donating over 150 shoeboxes full of toys and school supplies for children living in some of the poorest areas around the world. The shoeboxes were donated to the international relief organization Samaritan’s Purse through the Operation Christmas Child program. Village Christian School in Sun Valley helped to facilitate the project.

“Support for this program has been tremendous and we were delighted to see many of the children donating two or three boxes each,” said Sharon Lee, administrator of MCMS.

“My kids loved selecting the toys for each shoe box – this project really gave them an opportunity to be involved with philanthropy,” said parent Armineh Manookian. “They were especially excited to participate when they learned that for some children this would be their very first Christmas gift.”

Anyone interested in donating shoeboxes can obtain more information at www.samaritanspurse.org.

MCMS has participated in the Operation Christmas Child program for the last 15 years and Lee noted that this program is a perfect fit with the school’s philosophy and curriculum.

For more information, contact  Charlotte Widdis, office manager, MCMS at (818) 249-2319.

Contributed by April Rushing