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Mary Damron
Damron in 2012
Born	(1954-04-17)April 17, 1954 Columbus, Ohio, U.S.
Died	December 26, 2024(2024-12-26) (aged 70) West Virginia, U.S.
Other names	Mama Gump, The Shoebox Lady
Occupation	Missionary
Years active	1994–2024
Spouse	Ted Damron ​ ​(m. 1973; died 2021)​
Children	3

Mary Jean Damron (April 17, 1954 – December 26, 2024), also known as The Shoebox Lady or Mama Gump, was an American missionary who was best known for her global work with Christian humanitarian aid organization Samaritan's Purse and the Operation Christmas Child program. Damron, as a national spokesperson and missionary for the program, has traveled to and outreached in more than 40 countries, including the Balkans.

Early life

Damron was born on April 17, 1954, in Columbus, Ohio, to Arthur Sprouse and Emma Jean Carlson. She resided in Ikes Fork, West Virginia, for most of her life and attended Ikes Fork Freewill Baptist Church during her childhood, where she said a pastor of the church told her that Jesus loved her – which sparked her desire to serve Jesus.

Humanitarian work

In 1994, Damron viewed an episode of Paul and Jan Crouch's television program on Trinity Broadcasting Network promoting Operation Christmas Child, a program of Samaritan's Purse. The clip featured Franklin Graham, President of Samaritan's Purse, delivering shoeboxes packed with gifts to children in war-torn Bosnia, during the Bosnian War. After viewing the program, Damron wrote the word "Bosnia" on a piece of paper and taped it to her wardrobe. The paper reminded her to pray for the children of Bosnia daily. She then began collecting shoeboxes in Wyoming and McDowell counties in West Virginia, often called "the poorest counties in West Virginia". By Thanksgiving Day 1994, Mary had collected 1,256 shoeboxes, and transported them in a cargo truck with her son, Tad, to the Samaritan's Purse headquarters in Boone, North Carolina. Franklin Graham was alerted of the unexpected delivery by telephone, and arrived at the headquarters – where he met Mary. Mary greeted Graham with “Brother Graham, I’m Mary. I got you some shoeboxes for God. Where do you want them ?”

Graham was shocked by the amount of shoeboxes which Damron had brought, and offered to take Mary to Bosnia to hand-deliver the shoeboxes. Graham expressed concern and warned Mary that she would be going into a warzone in Bosnia, which was at the peak of war – and that she would need a bulletproof vest, after which Mary said: “What for ? I got the Holy Spirit of God, young man. I’ve got holy angels all around me, the Spirit of God in me, and Jesus walking with me every step of the way. I’ll be alright!”

Damron accompanied other missionaries to Sarajevo during the 1994 Christmas season, where she delivered her first round of shoebox gifts to the needful children of war-torn Bosnia. In Sarajevo, Damron claimed she "could hear people being killed" outside her hostel, along with explosions from the active war – and that had visited a schoolhouse full of injured children which had been continuously bombed in an attack.

In 1995, Damron received a call from The White House. At first, Damron believed it was a prank call, until the caller finally convinced her that the call was authentic. Then-president Bill Clinton invited her to The White House to attend and speak at a press conference regarding humanitarian relief efforts in Bosnia and Herzegovina. During the press conference, Damron spoke about Operation Christmas Child and her civilian work in Bosnia, alongside President Clinton.

When Damron met the president, she handed him an empty shoebox and asked him to fill it with gifts for a child. She then asked him, “Mr. President , do you care if I pray for you?”. She then proceeded to lead a prayer in the Oval Office. Mary delivered the shoeboxes packed by President Clinton and First Lady Hillary Clinton to a 7-year-old girl named Zlada in Bosnia who had lost a leg in an artillery attack.

Damron earned the name "Mama Gump," which was coined by her son Tad after she was invited to The White House: “You saw Brother Graham on the TV, went out and got some shoeboxes, took them down there to Carolina, you got sent off to Bosnia , and now the President's done called you to Washington. You’re nothing but a Mama Gump," Tad said, referencing the 1994 film Forrest Gump. The nickname has been used to refer to her in media, along with "The Shoebox Lady" and "Hillbilly Angel".

Since 1994, Mary has been to 42 countries (and 48 U.S. states) delivering shoebox gifts to children in need, and served as the national spokesperson for the Operation Christmas Child program prior to her death in 2024.

On April 6, 2013, Mary attended an Operation Christmas Child event celebrating 100 million OCC shoeboxes, and sang a rendition of "God on the Mountain" on-stage with Ricky Skaggs, Tommy Coomes, Dennis Agajanian, and Franklin Graham.

Personal life and death

Her husband, Pastor Ted Damron, died on December 27, 2021. Ted also volunteered for Operation Christmas Child during his life.

Mary Damron battled cancer for many years. She died from the disease on December 26, 2024, at the age of 70. Samaritan's Purse paid tribute to Damron with a news release on their website, and Franklin Graham paid tribute to Damron on social media, calling her a "a great warrior for children and the Gospel."

References

1. ^ Staff (September 28, 2023). "Damron to share Operation Christmas Child story". WV News. Retrieved December 27, 2024.
2. Collins, Ronnie (May 17, 2009). "OPC National Spokesperson @ 1st Hillsville, Memorial Day Weekend". Ronnie G. Collins.
3. ^ Graham, Franklin (December 27, 2024). A great warrior for children and the Gospel ran through the gates of Heaven yesterday after a long bout with cancer—Mary Damron (Video). Retrieved December 29, 2024 – via Facebook.
4. ^ TheLighthousebaptist (June 17, 2023). Operation Christmas Child: An Evening With Mary Damron. Event occurs at 20 minutes, 31 seconds (20:31). Retrieved January 2, 2025 – via YouTube.
5. Macvean, Tim (March 12, 2018). "Volunteer's service spans more than two decades". The Intermountain. Retrieved December 29, 2024.
6. "50 Years Into the War on Poverty, Hardship Hits Back (Published 2014)". The New York Times. April 21, 2014. Archived from the original on November 20, 2024. Retrieved December 29, 2024.
7. ^ ""Mama Gump": Her Hugs Went a Long Way". Samaritan's Purse. December 26, 2024. Retrieved December 27, 2024.
8. ^ Houck, William (14 September 2014). Mary Damron - Operation Christmas Child (Video). Retrieved December 31, 2024 – via YouTube.
9. Clinton, William. "Statement on the 1st Anniversary of the Summit of the Americas" (PDF). GovInfo. Administration of William J. Clinton, 1995 / Dec. 12. Retrieved December 29, 2024.
10. "Beckley Register Herald Archives, Dec 13, 1995, p. 1". NewspaperArchive. December 13, 1995.
11. "Good News and Great Joy for Children Around the World". Samaritan's Purse. March 19, 2020. Retrieved January 2, 2025.
12. "Franklin Graham Reflects on 25 Years of Sharing God's Love Through Shoebox Gifts Delivered to the Ends of the Earth". Samaritan's Purse. Retrieved December 29, 2024.
13. Nodell, Bobbi (July 25, 2002). "'Hillbilly angel' crusades for charity". The Seattle Times. Retrieved December 29, 2024.
14. Norris, Sherrie (April 22, 2013). "Samaritan's Purse: 100 million reasons to celebrate". Biblical Recorder.
15. "Remembering the life of Pastor Ted Damron". The Register-Herald. Retrieved December 29, 2024.
16. Taylor, Jack (September 18, 2022). "An act of kindness comes full circle in Wyoming County". WVNS. Retrieved December 29, 2024.

Further reading

• Graham, Franklin (1998). Living Beyond the Limits: A Life in Sync with God. Thomas Nelson Incorporated. ISBN 978-0785267058.
• Graham, Franklin; Toney, Donna (2013). Operation Christmas Child: A Story of Simple Gifts. B&H Publishing Group (published October 1, 2013). ISBN 9781433679988 – via Google Books.

External links

• Mary Damron - "The Shoebox Lady" at YouTube

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