Moments of Hope: Sowing Shoeboxes

Mary Jean Damron, known as “Mama Gump,” was a coal miner’s wife from West Virginia who had very little but gave with astonishing generosity. In 1994, she packed 1,258 shoeboxes for Operation Christmas Child, later carrying gifts into war-torn Bosnia and even praying with President Clinton in the White House. Over her lifetime, she helped deliver millions of shoeboxes to children in 42 countries. Her story reminds us that when we sow generously, trust God’s provision, and give from the heart, He multiplies it abundantly—and all the glory points back to Him.