RED BANK, TN. (Times Free Press) -- To Mirela Gospodaru Wahner, the brightly colored candies were the big prize in the Christmas-wrapped shoebox she opened about 25 years ago in her native Romania.
"We had candy," she said, "but it was not so popular. We had [some] money, but couldn't buy much [because] there was not so much there to buy."
The shoebox Wahner opened was one of millions annually sent around the world by Operation Christmas Child, a ministry of Samaritan's Purse. The Boone, N.C.-based nondenominational evangelical Christian organization provides aid to people around the world.
Wahner now is a member of Red Bank Baptist Church, which is attempting to assemble and pack 4,000 shoeboxes for this year's drive.
Read more on the story from our news partners at the Chattanooga Times Free Press.
