Wilmington man shares personal story of Operation Christmas Child’s reach

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — Pumpkins have only been out for a few weeks, but it’s never to early to start thinking about lending a helping hand for the holidays. It’s a merry time for most, but some children are not so fortunate.

Soon folks here in Wilmington and around the country will give a gift to help children around the world; a gift a Wilmington man once received.

Vladimir Kenny lived the first 14 years of his life in the Ukraine; the last four of those were spent in an orphanage after a difficult home life left him with no where else to go. His first Christmas in the orphanage, Kenny got a shoebox. It was first time he’d ever received a gift.

“It was actually, and it was very very exciting, and we had a blast,” Kenny, who was adopted by a Wilmington family and is now a student at Cape Fear Community College, said. “It was one time that I’ll remember for the rest of my life.”

When Kenny opened his box, a Hot Wheels car was his instant favorite. When he kept digging, he found more than toys and candy.

“The shoeboxes made me realize that there was other people in the world that care about someone that has nothing pretty much,” Kenny said.

Operation Christmas Child is the world’s largest effort to spread hope around the world. There have been more than 61 million shoeboxes delivered to hurting children in more than 135 countries, but the aim is to reach all children in need before saying mission accomplished.

This year, Wilmington residents have pledged to fill at least 26,000 shoe boxes. That’s 26,000 children who will open the ordinary box to find extraordinary love and hope and some fun toys, too.

National collection week for Operation Christmas Child is November 15-22. If you’d like more information on packing and sending a shoebox or to find a drop-off location near you, visit http://www.samaritanspurse.org/index.php/occ/index/