Throughout the past month, members of Chords For Kids have participated in Operation Christmas Child, a program that focuses on helping underprivileged children around the world.
Operation Christmas Child is a project of Samaritan’s Purse, a national organization dedicated to assisting people in physical need, according to the organization’s website.
Chords For Kids members encouraged students to participate by buying and donating basic, everyday items to the cause. This included items such as toiletries, non-perishable food, school supplies and toys, which would be put into shoeboxes and sent to children in need.
The organization gathered the donations Monday and held a box-packing party. Each box was packed for a specific child, based on his or her age and sex.
Senior biology major and Chords For Kids music librarian Lauren Langsjoen said the organization wanted to help the cause, even though Operation Christmas Child is not a music-related program.
“[Operation Christmas Child] is a great outlet to put some of the money we raised in our various fundraisers to a good cause,” she said.
She said Chords For Kids’ overall mission was to help children in need, so the program was a perfect way to help brighten many children’s lives during the holiday season.
Senior early childhood education major and Chords For Kids member Mary Baze suggested Chords For Kids pursue the Operation Christmas Child. She said her organization was eager to add to the already 3 million packed shoeboxes sent from the United States this year.
She also said the program helped her realize how fortunate she was.
“Giving to [the less fortunate] really makes you realize what’s important, and think ‘Wow, I really am blessed,’” she said.
Senior political science major Sarah Scott also shared what the gift of giving meant to her.
There are many things on campus for which TCU students should feel fortunate, such as the library, access to computers and Froggy 5-0, she said. It is important to share the “gift of giving” because oftentimes students forget how much they really have, she said.
Baze said even though having the box-packing event was a small way for her organization to help out, she hoped the finished boxes and donations would make a big difference.
