At the tender age of 9, Lucas Allison could teach us all a thing or two about kindness.

For the past three years, the Davidson County youngster has packaged over 100 shoe boxes for Operation Christmas Child, a partnership between Samaritan’s Purse and churches worldwide that provides gifts to children who might not otherwise receive them during the holiday season.

The Operation Christmas Child program has held a special place in the hearts of the Allison family for many years, explains Lucas’ mother, Drue Allison.

“My mom, Barbara, grew up in a foster family, and she received similar care packages for the holidays,” says Drue. “One year, the only thing she received in her shoe box was a set of hair rollers … and she has naturally curly hair. When she told us that story, we thought we’d like to honor the people who took her in and raised her, giving her a safe home. We make the boxes to honor them and to honor my mom.”

Raised in a family accustomed to giving, it was only natural Lucas would pick up the torch someday. What was unusual, however, was the fact that he did so when he was just 4 years old.

“We made 10 shoe boxes that year, and when we dropped them off, Lucas saw someone who was unloading about 250 boxes,” Drue recalls. “He was so blown away by the thought of this that he wanted to help them carry them in, so we did. After that, he told us, ‘I want to fill 250 boxes.’”

Drue thought Lucas would forget about the 250 boxes over the course of a year. When the next season came around, she quickly learned he didn’t:

“We did our 10 boxes and he said, ‘Remember? We talked about doing 250.’ I was surprised he remembered this, so when the following year rolled around and he said, ‘I really want to do this,’ we thought okay, let's just see what we can do.”

What followed was a trip to Opry Mills Mall, where, at age 7, Lucas collected 50 shoe boxes.

“He had this little sales pitch, and he would go up to the checkout desk and ask them if he could have any shoe boxes to make care packages for kids,” explains Drue. “We brought home about 50 boxes that time, and he said, ‘No, we’ve gotta go get some more.’ So, we went back and did it again and brought home 50 more.”

With the help of family and friends, and by putting gift cards he received as gifts himself towards the project, Lucas donated 101 boxes that first year. The year after that, Lucas donated 116 boxes, with a goal to beat that number this year.

In terms of the labor involved, Lucas’ parents encourage him to do as much as he is physically able to do.

“He unloads the car and stacks up the boxes. He puts together a list of items he wants to include and once we start receiving those packages, he unpackages it all, counts it, sorts it… all of the actual work to put the boxes together,” Drue says.

In addition to the toys, school supplies, and toiletries donated by friends and family, Lucas places a note in every box, introducing himself and wishing the recipient a wonderful holiday.

Last year, he was ecstatic to get a letter from a little girl in Nigeria who had received one of his boxes. Seeing this correspondence from across the globe made him even more determined to reach more children and provide them with gifts.

Lucas’ story serves as a reminder that all too often, we underestimate the capacity children have for empathy and their ability to inspire us though acts of kindness. As we spiral towards the holidays, let us not forget his tremendously giving spirit.

For more information, please access the video Lucas recorded below:

https://youtube.com/shorts/mrutQS_XQB0?si=Pz5RRcBEGRfh7UkT  

To donate:

Lucas’  Amazon Wish List for Box Fillers:

https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/279N5K7NQQTWM?ref_=wl_share

Venmo:

@Drue-Allison-1