Recipient of Christmas box tells how gift was life changing

ELYRIA — A tiny shoebox with little trinkets and gifts might not seem like much of a Christmas gift, but for some children, like Basit Hammad, it is life-changing. Receiving that small box as a young boy changed the trajectory of Hammad's life, leading him from a "politically sensitive country" to the United States, where he has been traveling this month sharing his experience with Operation Christmas Child. Hammad, 29, spoke at Abbe Road Baptist Church in Elyria, as well as churches in Bowling Green and Doylestown before traveling to Florida to continue his speaking tour. "His story is super inspiring," said Emily Kannapell, of Operation Christmas Child. "We know why we send the shoeboxes, but we don't often get to know who receives them. It's super touching to see someone that had received one come back and talk about how much it changed them." As a child, Hammad's family often faced discrimination and persecution in their home country, which was not released due to the sensitive climate at this time, because of their religious beliefs. "Growing up, Hammad often felt rejected as a child by those around him," according to Kannapell. "His parents encouraged him to stand firm on his faith and trust God, even in the hardest situations." A year-round volunteer for Operation Christmas Child met Hammad in West Virginia and shared his story with the organization. "Receiving an Operation Christmas Child shoebox gift at age 13 was like a treasure to Hammad," Kannapell said. "This unconditional gift inspired him to grow his faith and pursue God's calling to bring the Gospel where it has never gone before." Hammad is training to serve in the ministry to spread the gospel to those in difficult to reach areas of his country. "As we get closer to National Collection Week, Hammad's story is super inspiring to packers," Kannapell said. This year, National Collection Week takes place Nov. 17 to Nov. 24. Local drop-off locations will be announced in late October. To find local collection spots and packing parties, or for more information about Operation Christmas Child, which is a project of Samaritan's Purse, visit www.samaritanspurse.org or look for the organization on Facebook, X, and Instagram. Since 1993, Operation Christmas Child has collected and delivered more than 232 million shoebox gifts to children in more than 170 countries and territories and hopes to deliver 12.6 million shoeboxes to children around the globe this year. Contact Christina Jolliffe at ctnews@chroniclet.com