Alexandra DiSiena delivering gifts to children in Grenada
Alexandra DiSiena delivering gifts to children in Grenada
Alexandra DiSiena delivering gifts to children in Grenada
Lee University’s Alexandra DiSiena traveled to the island of Grenada to help distribute over 1,500 gift-filled shoeboxes through Operation Christmas Child (OCC), a project of Samaritan’s Purse, an international relief organization.
Ms. DiSiena, assistant to the director of Lee’s First-Year Programs, joined representatives from several other institutions, including Colombia International University and Charleston South University, as invited guests to see the impact of contributions firsthand earlier this spring.
“I was sure I knew what to expect when arriving in Grenada – smiling faces of children when receiving their present-filled shoeboxes – but I quickly discovered it was so much more than I could ever have imagined,” said Ms. DiSiena. “That one box opens the door for them to know the gospel of Jesus Christ.”
Lee University first-year students, instructors, and peer leaders have packed shoeboxes for OCC each fall for more than two decades, filling over 47,000 to date.
“The children, of course, loved the crayons, pencils, watches, and soccer balls, but every single one of their faces lit up with joy when hearing about Jesus and what He has done for them,” said Ms. DiSiena. “It was such a privilege to be a part of this experience with them.”
Ms. DiSiena began serving at Lee in spring 2023 in the Office of First-Year Programs, where she assists the director, Dr. Lorinda Roberts, in helping students become acclimated to Lee's campus through the Gateway experience. She is also involved with Summer Honors and New Student Orientation. She is married to Allan DiSiena who is currently working toward his education specialist degree at Lee. They have two boys, Elijah and Weston.
Through OCC, Samaritan’s Purse mission is to provide local partners around the world with shoeboxes filled with small toys, hygiene items, and school supplies as a means of reaching out to children in their own communities with the Good News of Jesus Christ. These simple gifts are shipped outside the United States to children affected by war, poverty, natural disaster, famine, and disease.
For more information about Samaritan's Purse or the Operation Christmas Child project, visit samaritanspurse.org/.
For more information on Lee’s Office of First-Year Programs or how to partner on this project, contact Ms. DiSiena at adisiena@leeuniversity.edu.