Up to 1 million residents of Iraq and Syria have been displaced in recent months following the spread of the brutal militant group known as ISIS. But, this week, 60,000 children who were forced to flee their homes got to receive a little holiday cheer—in the form of Operation Christmas Child boxes. Along with some toys, school supplies and personal notes, each shoebox also contains assorted hygiene items and was assembled by volunteers in Europe, the United States and Canada, organized by the group Samaritan’s Purse. On December 10, the boxes were loaded onto a jet to be delivered to a refugee camp in northern Iraq that is home to tens of thousands of kids. The project’s director told Christian Headlines, “They are doing the best that they can in a tent community, a tent city. These shoeboxes will just be additional forms of encouragement. These conditions are difficult. We are unable to change their permanent condition, but we are able to provide a moment of hope and a reminder that these children are loved” …
