The Box of Joy campaign from Cross Catholic Outreach

This year, CCO is on track to have distributed a total of 1 million boxes to children in Guatemala, the Dominican Republic, Grenada, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Haiti, Peru, the Bahamas, Honduras and Malawi, including over 130,000 last year. They are only 84,111 Boxes of Joy away.As Cross Catholic Outreach celebrates 25 years of service and hope in 2026, the Box of Joy milestone stands as a powerful example of what can be accomplished when Catholics unite in faith to serve the poor.Groups nationwide, including Catholic schools, parishes, Knight of Columbus councils, as well as individuals, participate every year by packing shoebox-sized boxes with small gifts such as toys and school supplies, and other treasured items such as a few treats, including hard candy, a hairbrush and coloring books. The ministry adds a rosary and ‘The Story of Jesus’ book to every box to remind children why Christmas is so special.Michele Sagarino is the President of Cross Catholic Outreach. She has nearly three decades of experience in nonprofit leadership. After graduating from the University of Maryland, Michele answered the call on her life to begin service for various charitable organizations, including Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, Gateway Community Outreach and Food For The Poor. She joined Cross Catholic Outreach in 2004, and she served as vice president for development for 15 years. Through the years, Michele has been an important leader in the organization. Her expertise and heart for service will continue to lead Cross Catholic Outreach forward with wisdom and integrity, allowing the organization and their donors to impact even more lives. Get full access to Epiphany at epiphanyradio.substack.com/subscribe