BG girl sacrifices her own ‘wants’ to pack up 60 shoeboxes for needy children

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When 13-year-old Battle Ground resident Sierra Swearingen began purchasing and storing items over the past year to pack into shoeboxes for Operation Christmas Child, she had no idea that she was going to end up with a total of 60 shoeboxes packed with small toys and treats for some very needy, yet-soon-to-be-happy, children.

“During the year, I stored all of the items I had collected in large Rubbermaid totes, so I really wasn’t sure how much I had,” Swearingen said. “When it ended up being 60 boxes, I was shocked. It reminds me of a modern-day story of Jesus feeding the 5,000 (people) with just a little bit of bread and fish. I started with just a few items and then ended up filling 60 shoeboxes.”

Operation Christmas Child, a program of Samaritan’s Purse International Relief, is a program that anyone can participate in by packing a shoebox or shoeboxes with gift items for needy children. Items that can be included in the shoeboxes include toys such as small cars, balls, dolls, stuffed animals; school supplies such as pencils, crayons or markers, and calculators; hygiene items such as toothpaste, toothbrush, and washcloth; and other goodies such as candy, mints, gum, T-shirts, sunglasses, and toy jewelry. A personal note may also be included in a separate envelope.

Once the shoeboxes have been processed and inspected, they are then shipped to needy children in numerous countries around the world.

Sierra said she has been packing 1-2 boxes each year since she was preschool age, so for about 10 years now. She said she enjoys packing shoeboxes for children because it’s a random act of kindness and although her shoeboxes will go to people she will never meet in person, she said hopefully her shoeboxes will have a “huge impact.”

Sierra’s mother, Pamela Swearingen, said although Sierra has been packing shoeboxes for several years, this year she really took on this project and claimed it as her mission. Sierra said that a few years ago, after studying about missionaries in India, she and her brother, Marshall, started saving money in a fund they called HOPE, which stands for Helping Other People Everywhere. Over the years, Sierra said she has been putting spare change in the HOPE jar, but never spending it. When she had the idea to pack a lot of shoeboxes, she said she also added her birthday money and allowance to the HOPE jar. She then used that money to purchase items for the shoeboxes.

“Since I was purchasing items in large quantities, I tried to be careful with my money,” Sierra said. “After each big holiday, all of the stores’ holiday items go on clearance, so I bought a lot of items right after each holiday. I got a lot of small toys after Christmas last year and a lot of candy after Valentine’s Day. I also went to home shows, street fairs and the Clark County Fair looking for free pencils, stickers and stuff. I was surprised to also find a lot of free shopping bags and water bottles. Those are great items to send because they can hold a lot.”

Sierra said she thinks she spent about $200 on items for the shoeboxes and was able to keep her costs relatively low because she bought items on clearance and also because people donated stuff. When she was done packing all 60 of her shoeboxes, Sierra said she then took all of the boxes to her church, Glenwood Community Church. The shoeboxes are then put on large semi-trucks and are sent to a processing center in Los Angeles, CA, where they are inspected and then sent to countries all around the world. Sierra said that when the boxes are processed, volunteers add a Bible lesson to each shoebox that is written in the language of the country where the box is going.



“This year my grandma and my aunt are volunteering at the processing center in LA,” Sierra said. “The odds are small, but they might see one or two of my boxes as they are processed.”

Sierra said she has already started saving items for shoeboxes for next year and said she will continue packing shoeboxes each year until she is literally so old she can’t see what she’s doing anymore.

“I’m very proud of her accomplishment, but I’m even more amazed at her heart,” Pamela said. “She remained focused on the mission of Operation Christmas Child long after many people forgot about the holidays and giving.”

Sierra is in eighth grade and is currently homeschooled. Her brother, Marshall, is her only sibling and he is 15 years old. Aside from packing shoeboxes each year, Sierra is also in Girl Scouts and is currently working on her Silver Award. She said she also tries to collect Christmas trees each year in order to hand them out to people in need. Sierra said she one day hopes to work for Samaritan’s Purse, actually delivering some of the shoeboxes to children in need. First, however, she said she wants to go to college and get an MBA because she said she loves business, economics and marketing.

Aside from Girl Scouts, Sierra said she is also involved with 4-H in a dog group. She also enjoys art and takes lessons at Glory Art Works.

“I also really like Teen Council at the Battle Ground Library,” she said. “I’m involved in my church youth group (Glenwood Community Church) and I play the clarinet, cello and ukulele.”

Pamela said she hopes her daughter is one day able to accomplish her dream of traveling to another country to deliver shoeboxes to children in person.

“I’m praying with her that God will continue to fan this flame inside her heart with a gift of giving towards others,” Pamela said.