Every child deserves a Christmas gift. Box of Joy is a Christmas shoebox ministry that is joy-filled from beginning to end. The ministry uplifts the hearts of those who assemble the boxes and brings smiles and laughter to poor children and their families when those gifts are distributed in developing countries. In developing countries, Christmas is not always a day marked by feasting and gift-giving. In fact, the hardships of poverty leave many children resigned to deprivation. In 2014, Cross Catholic Outreach began the Box of Joy ministry as a way to combat this hopelessness and bring smiles to the faces of children around the globe.

Each child who receives a Box of Joy also receives a rosary and a booklet in their own language that tells The Story of Jesus. Box of Joy provides hope to children in need. Each gift represents Christ’s love and might be the only Christmas gift they receive. This year, MCA was able to provide 85 Boxes of Joy!