PLATTSBURGH — Rita Alford witnessed firsthand the joy that blooms on the faces of children in the Dominican Republic when opening an Operation Christmas Child shoebox.

"They just don't get something like this," said the Northern Adirondacks coordinator for Operation Christmas Child.

The project is an initiative of Samaritan's Purse, which is an international relief agency headed by Franklin Graham, the son of the Rev. Billy Graham.

"It's such a surprise to (the children) that someone would care enough to do this for them, Alford said. "They were so appreciative, and not just them but also their parents and teachers.

"Everybody waits until they all have a box," she said. "Then it's just pure pandemonium.

"... They held up crayons. A little boy held up a pair of shoes. It's just an amazing thing."

NEEDY CHILDREN
In February, Alford joined 70 volunteers from across the country and Samaritan's Purse staffers who passed out 200,000 shoeboxes in the Dominican Republic.

"There are 3 million children under the age of 14 there, and 43 percent are below their poverty line," she said. "We gave out shoeboxes in three public schools, an HIV center, two community centers and one church. The other teams gave out shoeboxes in orphanages and hospitals as well."

Alford's team distributed 11,000 shoeboxes. Operation Christmas Child's goal is to collect more than 8 million shoeboxes for distribution in Africa, the Indian Ocean region, Asia, South Pacific, Latin America, the Caribbean, Europe and the Middle East.

"People here in the U.S. and 11 other countries pack a shoebox," she explained. "They put in school supplies. Usually, they include soap, washcloth, toothbrush, toothpaste and small toys. They can pack a shoebox for a boy or girl. There are three different age groups — 2-to-4, 5-to-9 and 10-to-14."

The shoeboxes are disseminated to needy children in 111 countries.

"The children are either caught in wars, famine, disease and, of course, poverty," Alford said. "Most of these kids have never gotten a gift before. You can imagine the joy on their faces. These kids are excited about the shoebox and the fact that someone they don't know packed them such a gift. It's a way to share love from this country to other countries when we have so much."

NEVER ENOUGH
Each shoebox and its top is wrapped separately to allow easy access. Besides their surprise gifts, children receive a gospel booklet, "The Greatest Gift of All," from the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association.

While in the Dominican Republic, Alford's team ran out of shoeboxes.

"My roommate, who was on a different team, came back with (just) her passport. Others gave away their backpacks and everything in it so the kids would have something. If every man, woman and child in this country packed one box, it wouldn't be enough for the children in India under the age of 14. There's not enough."

In the Dominican Republic, the average family has five children. They live with their parents in 14-square-foot dwellings with no running water or electricity. While the capital region has more wealth, in the rural areas, living conditions become more and more desperate.

"People eke out a daily existence, especially in that country," Alford said. "A lot of Haitians came to work sugar cane, and that fell flat. They are displaced and have no place to go. They live day to day doing field work and construction. There are many more countries that are poorer than the Dominican Republic where the poverty line is 85 percent."

The brightly wrapped shoeboxes and their contents give the children hope.

"That is hard for us to imagine," she said. "Our children are blessed. It's a wonderful project for kids to do, for them to pack a shoebox to send to another child in another country. They can put a picture and a note from their family in their shoebox. The kids love those. I found that out in the Dominican Republic."

E-mail Robin Caudell at: rcaudell@pressrepublican.com