Bringing Christmas joy to children internationally has attracted a third generation of a Lower Burrell family, as well as their friends and peers.

Burrell High School seniors Miley Kariotis and Will Doutt, as well as their peers in the Reading Railroad club, assembled and packaged 25 shoeboxes Friday for Operation Christmas Child.

“Being able to ship them out — that feeling is rewarding,” said Kariotis, 17. “I know they’re going to appreciate whatever they get, and being able to put this together and do something good, that’s pretty rewarding.”

The service project started through Kariotis’ grandmother, Shirley Woodcock, and her connection with Grace Community Church in Lower Burrell, said Danielle Kariotis, Miley’s mother, Woodcock’s daughter and a teacher at Burrell High School who is a sponsor for the Reading Railroad club.

Woodcock sews dresses to be placed in the shoebox for Operation Christmas Child and gives the recipients a doll with a matching dress, Danielle said.

“I thought it would be fun to do more boxes on top of what the church was doing,” Miley said.

During the pandemic, Miley sewed masks with her grandmother and decided to sew some dresses with her. Juggling a job and a busy soccer season, Miley managed to finish two dresses, and Woodcock donated eight dresses along with the dolls, Danielle said.

Each of the boxes sent from Burrell High School had items made by Woodcock: Dresses and dolls for girls ages 2 to 4, jumpers for boys ages 2 to 4 and small carrying bags for girls ages 10 to 14, Danielle said.

The Kariotis family helps with the Salvation Army backpack drive and, this year, gathered extra supplies to be used in the shoeboxes, Danielle said.

Miley and Will volunteered at Grace Community Church for their spaghetti dinner to raise money for Operation Christmas Child and organized a hoagie sale for Reading Railroad members to raise money for the boxes and various events this year, Danielle said.

Reading Railroad is a club where high school students get involved with elementary students and encourage them to read books, said Miley, who is the club’s president.

The boxes include essential items, school supplies and toys. A few students shopped at Five Below to purchase various larger toy items to fill the boxes. Students will print the labels and track their boxes.

“It’s so the kids have some kind of gift,” Miley said.

“The 25 boxes we’re going to send over is going to make them happy.”

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