St. Mike's students help children in poverty

from the Burlington Free Press

By Matt Sutkoski
Free Press Staff Writer

The beauty of a shoe box is it's so useful once you've emptied the box and are wearing the shoes.

For instance, a shoe box can help improve the life of some disadvantaged children overseas.

St. Michael's College students planned to prove that point Thursday night by filling shoe boxes with goodies and wrapping them in festive holiday paper. From there, the boxes will be shipped to an organization called Samaritan's Purse, which will distribute the boxes to children living in poverty, in war zones or in disaster areas.

The InterVarsity Christian Fellowship chapter at St. Michael's College organized the gift giving, said Mary Thon of the Fellowship at St. Michael's. Last year, a small group assembled nine gift shoe boxes for Samaritan's Purse, which is a relief organization organized by Franklin Graham, son of the Rev. Billy Graham.

The group decided to open the drive up to the entire campus to see what would happen. "And a lot happened," Thon said.

She expects 123 shoe boxes filled with age appropriate gifts, and personal items such as small clothing items or toiletries. More volunteers are bringing boxes from Champlain College and the University of Vermont, Thon said.
Contact Matt Sutkoski at 660-1846 or msutkosk@bfp.burlingtonfreepress.com