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PUEBLO 21-YEAR-OLD GOES BEYOND HIS LIMITATIONS
TO HELP CHILDREN A WORLD AWAY
Josh Potestio Manages Operation Christmas Child Shoe Box Collection Site to Help Reach Needy Children Overseas
PUEBLO, Colo., Sept. 28, 2010—Josh Potestio is not your typical 21-year-old. Born 16 weeks premature, Josh and his twin sister Allysa struggled through the first four months of their lives with an estimated five percent chance of survival. Both Josh and Allysa exceeded medical expectations, and although Josh’s early birth substantially hindered his developmental capacity, his zeal for life and others has never ceased to grow.
For the past 13 years, Josh and his sister have packed shoe box gifts for Operation Christmas Child, a project that sends gifts filled with toys, school supplies, hygiene items and notes of encouragement to needy children around the world. With the help of his family, Josh will take on an essential role this year as coordinator of one of Pueblo’s newest shoe box collection sites and will develop and lead its operations during National Collection Week Nov. 15-22.
Packing these shoe boxes has become Josh’s favorite Christmas tradition. Annual trips to drop-off locations to deliver boxes have inspired Josh’s enthusiasm and led his mother to find more avenues for her son to participate.
“Josh gets so excited about Operation Christmas Child because he is a very caring, very loving person,” said Pam Potestio, Josh’s mother. “I am extremely proud of him. Even though he is developmentally delayed, Josh always thinks of others. I am willing to do whatever it takes on my part to help him pursue his passion for loving others through shoe box gifts.”
Last year, families in the Pueblo area packed over 9,300 shoe box gifts. In 2010, hundreds of Pueblo residents are joining Josh to help send 8 million shoe box gifts to hurting children in more than 100 countries. Since 1993, the efforts of individuals like Josh have contributed to 77 million shoe box gifts hand-delivered to kids in more than 130 countries.
Andrea Uhl, the Southwest regional director for Operation Christmas Child, said she is anxious to see how Josh will touch lives with his ability to love people.
“It is so encouraging to hear a story of a young man that, in spite of his limitations, is willing to take leaps and bounds to share God’s love with children around the world,” Uhl said.
Operation Christmas Child is a project of international Christian relief and evangelism organization Samaritan’s Purse, headed by Franklin Graham. It’s the power of a simple gift that allows Operation Christmas Child to transcend all barriers—language, cultural, religious, geographical and political—with a message of hope and love. For many of these children, the simple shoe box will be the first gift they have ever received. Samaritan’s Purse uses tracking technology that allows donors to “follow your box” to the destination country where it will be hand-delivered to a child in need by registering their boxes using the EZ Give donation form found at http://www.samaritanspurse.org.
For more information on how to participate in Operation Christmas Child, call (303) 745-9179 or visit http://www.samaritanspurse.org. National Collection Week for gift-filled shoe boxes is Nov. 15-22; however, shoe box gifts are collected all year at the Samaritan’s Purse headquarters in Boone, N.C.
For more information regarding this story, contact Jennifer Butler at (303) 745-9179 or JButler@Samaritan.org.
Have a great day,
Jennifer Butler
Media Relations Specialist
Operation Christmas Child
Samaritan’s Purse
2953 S. Peoria St., Suite 202
Aurora, CO 80014
p. 303-745-9179 f. 303-369-2259
jbutler@samaritan.org
http://www.samaritanspurse.org/