Operation Christmas Child

Operation Christmas Child at Gold Coast

article by AJ Moffitt

When you are a child, whether celebrating Christmas, Chanukah, Kwanzaa, or another festive holiday, it’s hard when your family doesn’t have the means to provide the gifts you had hoped to get. Fortunately, Samaritan’s Purse International Relief started Operation Christmas Child in 1993. This non-profit project enables impoverished children across the globe to receive shoeboxes filled with toys, school supplies, and personal care items.

For years, PCA Gold Coast’s own Sherry Fabel has headed up the initiative of gathering these items to create shoeboxes and donate them on behalf of the club. Sherry led members as they collected the necessary items and then gathered to stuff the boxes and prepare them for distribution. Though she first became involved with this charity through her church, this isn’t the first time she has dedicated her time and resources to helping others. A tried-and-true philanthropist, Sherry is also a part of Crafters for a Cause. This group meets in Fort Lauderdale each week and makes crafts to donate to worthy charities. Their most recent project was making capes for patients at Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital. As the long-term patients of the hospital are all superheroes, it only seemed fitting that they should each adorn a superhero’s cape. Operation Christmas Child ... Gold Coast Charity

Though she will continue to be a driving force with this program, Sherry recently designated new leadership for PCA’s Operation Christmas Child efforts to Noemi Sanchez. A long-time member of the club and humanitarian like Sherry, Noemi was honored to have been assigned this new role. “Sherry has done an amazing job organizing the Operation Christmas Child boxes on behalf of the club,” explained Noemi. She added, “For her to trust me with this project is incredibly flattering. She has really left some big shoes to fill!” Though sad to hand over the reins, Sherry knows this endeavor is in good hands. She said, “Noemi has great passion and is so thoughtful and organized. I know she will do an amazing job and make the PCA Gold Coast region proud!”

This year, Noemi held a Christmas Shoebox Packing Party at the house of her and her husband, Nestor Sanchez, on Sunday, October 23rd. While at the packing party, 144 shoeboxes were filled for children of all ages. Noemi and Nestor were incredibly giving

hosts, providing snacks, drinks, and fun. They even ended the festive event with a delicious dinner of Cuban cuisine.

Special thanks to those who attended and assisted at the shoebox stuffing party, including:

Sherry and Roger Fabel Noemi and Nestor Sanchez, their granddaughter Heather, and their parents

Mark and Ana Krumenacker

AJ and Andrew Moffitt An assembly line of gifts

• Leslie Del Pozo

• Christy Spangler

• Carolyn Ditrichs

Additional thanks to the PCA Gold Coast Region for their monetary donation that helped enable this campaign.

Though Operation Christmas Child shoeboxes are collected by the organization in November, this is an undertaking that goes on year-round. If you would like to assist in the 2023 efforts, contact Noemi Sanchez, PCA Gold Coast Operation Christmas Child chair, at 786-210-2251. Dinner, anyone?