Box of Joy announces Abby Johnson as 2019 Ambassador
NEWS PROVIDED BY
Carmel Communications
Sept. 17, 2019
BOCA RATON, Fla., Sept. 17, 2019 /Christian Newswire/ -- While it's no secret Christmas has been commercialized to a large degree, the baby Jesus and spirit of giving are still essential for Catholic parishes and families across the country. Every year since Cross Catholic Outreach began Box of Joy, more and more groups and churches have signed up to give children in impoverished nations a small piece of the joy of Christmas.
"Box of Joy is more than giving a child small gifts in a shoebox who would otherwise receive nothing during Christmas," said Jim Cavnar, president of Cross Catholic Outreach. "Box of Joy is an opportunity to consciously take time out of the busy holiday season to focus on serving others and sharing the joy of Jesus' birth."
Watch the promo videos: 60-Second PSA and Long Version (4:26).
Last year, through the efforts of 620 participating Catholic parishes, schools and groups across 47 states utilizing 149 drop-off centers, Cross Catholic Outreach collected and delivered gift-filled Boxes of Joy to 58,030 children in Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Nicaragua, El Salvador and Guatemala. The ministry's goal is to increase the number of children served to 85,000 by 2020 — which will require a rise in group and parish participation and the number of drop-off centers for boxes. By sending Boxes of Joy — each box includes a rosary and "The Story of Jesus," in the recipient's native language — groups can demonstrate Christ's compassion to poor children in developing countries. Group registration is available now.
Abby Johnson, the founder and director of And Then There Were None and author of Unplanned, which was made into a feature film and released in theaters this past March, will serve as a Box of Joy ambassador.
"My family has participated in Box of Joy for several years, and my kids love shopping for and filling those shoeboxes with little gifts for children who live without all of the conveniences that we enjoy as Americans," said Johnson. "I'm thrilled to be able to share our family's experience with Box of Joy, and I encourage parishes and school groups to join the ministry and purposefully set aside time to counter the secular Christmas culture."
Catholic parishes, schools and groups nationwide organize Boxes of Joy by packing the boxes with small gifts like toys and school supplies, and adding essentials like soap, toothpaste and toothbrushes, as well as a few treats like hard candy and coloring books. Participants include $9 in each box to cover shipment from the local drop-off center to the child.
The 2019 Box of Joy campaign kicks off in September and groups deliver gifts to their local drop-off centers during Box of Joy Collection Week, Nov. 2-10. Any group that misses Box of Joy Week can ship their gifts to the National Screening Center in Miami. Here is the full 2019 schedule. To learn more on how to engage students, parishioners or group members in reaching needy children through Box of Joy, please visit the website.
To learn more, visit CrossCatholic.org/BoxofJoy. For additional information and press materials, or to schedule an interview, please contact Kevin Wandra of Carmel Communications at Kwandra@CarmelCommunications.com or 404-788-1276.
Visit the Box of Joy press room for:
- Box of Joy Media Tip Sheet
- Cross Catholic Outreach Fact Sheet
- Q&A with Cross Catholic Outreach President Jim Cavnar
About Cross Catholic Outreach CrossCatholic.org
Based in Florida, Cross Catholic Outreach is an official Catholic nonprofit 501(c)(3) relief and development organization that, since its founding in 2001, has given more than $1 billion in aid to help "the poorest of the poor" in more than three dozen developing countries in Africa, Asia, Latin America, the Caribbean and other parts of the world. For more information about Cross Catholic Outreach, visit CrossCatholic.org or call 800-914-2420.
SOURCE Carmel Communications
CONTACT: Kevin Wandra, 404-788-1276, KWandra@CarmelCommunications.com
Related Links
CrossCatholic.org
CrossCatholic.org/BoxofJoy
