500 boxes donated for Operation Christmas Child

Jane Marie Franks set a goal back in March to fill 500 shoe boxes by the third week of November.

After winning Miss Perry County's Outstanding Teen in January of this year, Franks decided to use Operation Global Needs for her platform and partnered with Operation Christmas Child.

Her inspiration came from a trip Franks took with her adoptive family to Guatemala, the country she was adopted from. She instantly had the desire to help the children who were less fortunate than she was after seeing small children selling merchandise on the streets to earn money to purchase school supplies.

"I realized that if I hadn't have been lucky enough to be adopted, then I could have been one of those kids," said Franks.

So how did Franks manage to fill 500 shoe boxes? Donations. She launched an event entitled March into Christmas at Frank Hughes School in Clifton, where she attends school. Between principals, staff members and students, she gathered large tubs of toys, school supplies and hygiene items.

Once the pandemic hit and closed down the school, Franks then took to social media where she continued to advocate for Operation Global Needs, and even made and donated 750 masks. She received donations from friends, family and even strangers to make her goal of 500 boxes.

If you would like to donate some shoe boxes full of fun little gifts, hygiene items and toys for Operation Christmas Child, First Baptist Hohenwald will be collecting them in their church parking lot at 103 South Oak Street from Nov. 16th to Nov. 20th from 3-6 p.m.; November 21 from 9-11 a.m.; November 22 from 2-4 p.m. and November 23 from 8 a.m. until 12 noon.