In some regions of the world, Dec. 25 is just another day. Many poor countries, such as parts of Africa, Nepal, and China, have children that are suffering in the waves of poverty.

Operation Christmas Child hopes to help with this. Run by an organization called Samaritan’s Purse, the Christian group founded by Franklin Graham who spent his life dedicated to helping other people in the world, whether it’s by providing spiritual or physical aid.

“My church supported this event and many people gathered supplies and put them in shoeboxes,” freshman Diane Bao said. “We could make shoeboxes for specific age groups and genders. Some people put notes inside and we all hoped that it will make their Christmas happier.”

It’s all part of a program with global reach.

“Every box that we give out, we have a discipleship program that we offer to the churches that help us around the world,” Franklin Graham said in an interview with the Christian Post. “We’re in 110 different countries and we have these leadership teams in every country and we offer a discipleship program, it’s called the Greatest Journey. The first year we had about — this is three years we been doing it — the first year we had about 800,000, last year we had 1.3 million, this year we’ll have 2.3 million kids in discipleship programs around the world.”

During this winter season, the band and other church organizations, such as City Fellowship Baptist Church and Collin County Chinese Fellowship Church, are gathering supplies to help aid kids in need.

“Our church has been doing this for at least five years. [I would recommend other people doing it] because it is a good thing to do and it helps people out,” City Fellowship Baptist Church member David Foote said. “Why not? It helps other people and it presents the gospel and spreads the meaning of Christmas.”