Boxes of Joy

By CINDY HEIMER

The Austin Area Council of Catholic Women has completed another successful Box of Joy campaign.

St. John the Baptist Catholic Church of Johnsburg has been the drop-off center for the past six years. This year, a total of 1,020 boxes were collected at the center, with the help of the fifth grade students of Sacred Heart Catholic School in Adams; the students of St. Benedict's Catholic School in Decorah, IA; the Southwest Area Council of Catholic Women; faith formation students and CCW of the Blue Earth area; plus various churches and individuals throughout the diocese. We are looking forward to greater participation next year.

Cross Catholic Outreach conducts this nationwide program yearly, with Boxes of Joy being distributed to children in the Bahamas, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Grenada, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Malawi, and Nicaragua. A Box of Joy may be the only gift a child has ever received. Box of Joy "is an extension of our Church's mission activities; it becomes a tool of God's hands, a way to lift up the Gospel and touch lives in Christ's name and for his glory."

Each child who receives a Box of Joy also receives a booklet in his or her own language, telling the story of Jesus, and a rosary. This ensures each child receives the message of the eternal hope found in Christ while furthering evangelization of the Catholic Church around the world.

Cindy Heimer is a member of the Austin Area Council of Catholic Women.