Millions of people become shoebox heroes to children in need around the world by prayerfully packing an ordinary box with toys and other fun items to communicate God’s love in a way a boy or girl can understand. But some shoebox heroes go “above and beyond” to ensure that the Gospel of Jesus Christ is proclaimed through Operation Christmas Child, a project of Samaritan’s Purse. We want to introduce you to some of them.
2025 Shoebox Heroes
Mary Damron
(1954-2024) | West Virginia
Legacy Shoebox Hero
“I went up and down the hollers, telling everybody that Brother Graham needed shoeboxes for God.”
A coal miner’s wife, Mary first rallied her community to pack shoeboxes for children around the world in 1994 when she heard about Franklin Graham’s new project on television. Shoes were as scarce in her parts as the boxes they came in, so her husband cut cardboard and fastened it together with miner’s tape to house the gifts. Loading 1,256 of these handcrafted boxes on a borrowed truck, the Damrons personally delivered the precious cargo to Samaritan’s Purse international headquarters in Boone, North Carolina. Mary didn’t have a passport, but she quickly got one when Graham invited her to go to Bosnia to help hand out shoebox gifts to children during the Balkan war. After the trip, President Bill Clinton invited her to the White House where she got him to fill a shoebox, too! We praise God that Mary served faithfully as a global ambassador for Operation Christmas Child for 30 years.
Adryana, 17
Florida
Five years ago, Adryana set out to pack 200 shoeboxes in memory of her grandmother who was a missionary serving Latin America for five decades. Every year since, Adryana has increased her Operation Christmas Child packing goal. This year, she filled 1,747 boxes, raising over $17,000 to cover the requested $10 donation per shoebox, plus more than $10,000 to send each one of her shoebox recipients through La Gran Aventura discipleship course. She accomplished all this despite battling chronic Bartonella and Lyme disease, which forced her to pack and pray over some of the boxes from a wheelchair.
Archie Araujo
Washington
Archie loves to tell people how shoebox gifts spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ to children around the world. This year, he hosted five packing parties, gathering neighbors and church friends in his RV garage-turned-shoebox-warehouse between July and September to fill boxes for children in need. His golf buddies also chipped in for some of the gifts. Archie likes to include a uniquely packed school bag in each box and prays earnestly for the boys and girls who will receive his shoebox gifts. He also volunteers to process shoeboxes at our West Coast Ministry Center.
Abigail, 10
Missouri
In the single decade of her young life, Abigail has packed 1,800 shoebox gifts—roughly a third of which were completed this year! She filled her first box when she was 4, and asks for shoebox filler items as Christmas or birthday gifts. Abigail has long wanted her own area for packing, and she recently rejoiced because her family built a 40-by-40-foot shed dedicated to filling shoebox gifts. The grade schooler also visits churches to tell them about how they, too, can get involved in Operation Christmas Child.
Timothy, 11
Illinois
Timothy packed his first Operation Christmas Child shoebox at 3 years old with the help of his older siblings. Two years later, he hosted his own packing party. In 2024, his friends helped him pack 48 boxes. This year, Timothy exceeded that number by hosting three separate packing parties for his neighborhood, school friends, and basketball team. Participants brought filler items and contributed to the $10 donation per shoebox.
Sue Luma
New Jersey
Sue and a friend annually pack 500 shoebox gifts, each complete with a colorful drawing on the lid, a Bible verse or inspirational phrase, and a handwritten note. Although she is deaf, Sue also volunteers each year at the Baltimore processing center (now our Mid-Atlantic Ministry Center), preparing shoeboxes for international shipment.
Mason Mulligan
South Carolina
Mason, 23, packed his first Operation Christmas Child shoebox gift at age 3. Though he has Down syndrome, he works with businesses to obtain gifts at discounted or no cost. His family fills 200 shoeboxes each year and celebrates Mason’s birthday by packing them. He also volunteers at his church’s drop-off location during National Collection Week and at the Charlotte processing center.
Nominate Your Shoebox Hero
New shoebox heroes will be added to this page each year. Visit this page next fall to nominate the people you would like to see featured in 2026!
