"You belong to the top one percent, you are at the top of the pyramid," I recall Fr. John Chambers, Religious Studies teacher, stressing out when I was in third year high school.

Our class was being told to value what we have, to count our blessings. Fr. Chambers often reminded us that the latter was the secret to happiness. And because we were given extra, we have to share them to those in need.

Operation Shoebox is about giving back. It started out as a small volunteer activity by Lei Labrador, a close friend, to indigent schoolchildren. She believed that a complete set of school supplies will make a big impact to students who have difficulty in getting them. At present, nearly four thousand shoeboxes have been distributed. That means about four thousand lives have been touched and that same number of children have smiled because a colourfully-wrapped shoebox filled with school supplies and other gifts have been gifted to them by total strangers.

While on vacation around July this year, I met up with Lei and discussed on how to make this volunteer initiative more sustainable. To cut the story short, we were not able to finalize how to do it. One thing was certain though—we were determined to invite more people and organizations to make Operation Shoebox a regular event.

Since October and together with our other hardworking friends, we committed to double our efforts to distribute more shoeboxes and encourage more to be part of the project. The support was overwhelming. It was as if the people we asked were only waiting for an opportunity to contribute to a volunteer project.

During the Ateneo Fiesta, nearly 700 boxes were donated. And a lot of them came from students of other schools and universities in the city. We could not have been more grateful for donors who want to make a difference and for the young student leaders and volunteers who took an active role in reaching out to the less fortunate.

The group is currently working on our website. And we will launch it together with the premier of the Operation Shoebox video documentary soon. We aim to invite more people and organizations to be our partners as we will begin to set the framework to sustain this project. We need more shoeboxes filled with school materials. With these, we aim to encourage and give hope to deprived schoolchildren.

For many of us, we reminisce a fun grade school experience. We can’t help remembering the pride during the opening of the school year when we put out our new notebooks, paper, pencil cases and compare them with those of our classmates. This is something that our recipients can’t relate with.

Furthermore, those who receive our shoeboxes are not only deprived with school supplies. We hope to inspire them to value learning and pursue their education albeit the struggles they face. Education will empower and uplift them from their current condition.

It is impossible for us to change the world but we wish to make a difference in one life with one shoebox at a time. The youth is the hope and this is the perfect opportunity for those who wish to rebuild our nation but do not know where to start. We are an inclusive group and we welcome everyone who is up to the challenge of taking responsibility for the needy and help them reach for their stars.

For donations, please get in touch with Mary Rose Andrada or Lei Labradador at the School of Liberal Arts, Ateneo de Zamboanga University.