First-grader Savannah Archuleta best sums up why her school donated shoeboxes filled with small gifts to children in need.

From left, Kindergartener Gavin Franz, first-graders Hayden Mason and Savannah Archuleta select items to place in a gift box for children in need. Jackie Leatherman/News-Herald Photo.

“Well, we want to fill the shoeboxes because children need help and we want to help them. If we didn’t care, we wouldn’t help and we want to help because Jesus put us in a good heart. We want to have God’s heart,” she said.

Archuleta and other kindergarten, first- and second-graders at Guiding Light Christian Education Center filled more than 15 shoeboxes Thursday for Operation Christmas Child, organized by Samaritan’s Purse International Relief, a Christian-based organization that works worldwide.

The program delivers shoeboxes to boys and girls aged 2 to 14 around the world.

For the past five years, Guiding Light has sent shoeboxes for the holidays, but this year the classes will be able to track the packages for the first time.

“It’s very hard to help Christian students understand the commercial side of Christmas versus the Biblical side,” said kindergarten teacher and organizer Nadine Bartels. “This program meshed the two. It’s a wonderful program. Children don’t learn to be gracious and giving people unless they see that modeled.”

Families donated items from books to crayons to small dolls and socks.

Older students who had participated in the program previously wrote why they enjoyed it to hang on a bulletin board.

One card from Ryan read: “I want to give this gift because some kids don’t have any toys and some kids don’t have a home. I want to give them a smile.”

You may contact the reporter at jleatherman@havasunews.com