ORLANDO, Fla. — Love in box, it just doesn’t get any better than that, right?

That is exactly what Everyday Hero, Ralph Hewitt is helping to put together for children across the world. He and other volunteers are giving their time to Operation Christmas Child to provide much needed items to kids during this special time of the year.

What You Need To Know

  • Some retired resident volunteers at Westminster Winter Park/Baldwin Park are doing their part to collect and pack items for kids to receive through an international effort called  “Operation Christmas Child”

  • Samaritan's Purse's ministry of “Operation Christmas Child” has been sending these gifts to millions of needy children around the world since 1993

  • Central Florida resident Ralph Hewitt is among thousands of volunteers around the world helping to fill boxes for children in need

These “elves” are hard at work volunteering their time for Samaritan’s Purse’s Operation Christmas Child.

“It’s a wonderful project to give to children and when we do our boxes, fill them tomorrow," Hewitt said. "We do not know where they go in the world — that is up to the organization that sponsors this. But we know once they get this, the children have the opportunity to have lessons just like we do Sunday school here."

The boxes go around the world to multiple countries. 

“We all are doing this to share the love we feel with children … so, just because we cannot see them doesn’t mean we don’t know that the love is being transferred to them,” Hewitt said.

Millions of boxes will go to 150 countries across the globe. Like Hewitt, fellow volunteer Roger Rymer says the mission is easy when you give the gift of love through faith.

There are more than 5,000 volunteers all around the world. Ed Decoursey and his wife are area coordinators in Seminole County. He says none of this would be possible without volunteers like Hewitt and Rymer.

“The organization is driven by volunteers," Decoursey said. "The vast majority of volunteers not only in the United States, but in other sending countries there are all volunteers."

With boxes put together, it’s time to fill them, and Hewitt is getting all of his items ready to go.

This one of the final stops before the boxes are packaged up and sent on their way a gift of love from our Everyday Hero and the team dedicated to helping put a smile on little faces.

If you know of an Everyday Hero we’d love to feature them. Click here to nominate them.