Operation Christmas Child RVA Capstone Project

Coming up with a Capstone idea can be a huge and scary decision. Both Mary Abbott and Tanya went through at least 20 different ideas before coming up with their final project idea, but in the end it is so important for you to find your passion to help find the cause. Knowing what brings you the most joy can be the best place to find your cause. The students' passion was helping people and the joy they get from working with kids.

Operation Christmas Child is an organization that ships hundreds of thousands of shoe boxes filled with toys, clothes, and necessities for children in more than 150 countries. The goal for the Capstone was to partner with local elementary schools to collect items to fill shoe boxes that would be shipped across the world. They were able to work with Robious, Bettie Weaver, and Crestwood Elementary schools to collect and pack 213 shoe boxes. Each school got to host their own packing party, where they had multiple fun and interactive stations for the students. This varied from card making to bracelet making stations; students could place their finished handmade items in a packed shoe box for a child thousands of miles away. Overall Mary Abbott and Tanya could not be more proud of all we were able to accomplish. We were able to educate people in our community, while also serving those across the globe. It would mean so much to us to see this once small idea continue with the help of rising seniors.