Our Story

Hi! My name is Alyssa Aban, and I’m the heart behind Hope in Every Box Foundation — a project that began with my family’s simple wish to make a difference, one small box at a time.

Our story began in 2020, during the height of the pandemic, when my family joined Operation Christmas Child by Samaritan’s Purse. Together, we packed 16 shoeboxes filled with love — toys, school supplies, and essentials like soap, toothbrushes, washcloths, Band-Aids, and water bottles — to send to children in need around the world.

What started as a small family project quickly grew into something much bigger. Each year, we continued to fill more boxes, reaching more children and spreading more hope:

• 2021: 35 boxes

• 2022: 75 boxes

• 2023: 150 boxes

• 2024: 154 boxes

• 2025: 156 boxes

That’s over 500 boxes of hope sent to children around the world — each one a message that every child matters, no matter where they live.

Our Growth and New Initiatives

As our mission grew, so did our vision. Inspired by the idea of giving hope in new ways, my friends and I launched Safe Start Health Foundation — a project created by UC Berkeley Research Interns to reach out to underserved kids and teach them basic health education. We also provide them with first aid kits to help them stay safe and healthy.

I brought this mission home by founding a Safe Start Health Club at Canyon Crest Academy, where we now have over 40 volunteers helping to spread awareness and compassion throughout our local community.

Our Global Mission

Globally, I’ve also begun a health education and first aid outreach for children in the Ilocos Region, Philippines, where we’ll be sending first aid kits and conducting online video sessions to teach essential health lessons.

As a Filipino family, this mission is especially close to our hearts — it’s our way of giving back to our roots and helping our fellow Filipinos back home. Through these virtual classes, we’re able to connect directly with kids, share practical ways to stay healthy and safe, and inspire them to take care of themselves and their communities — no matter the distance.

This coming December, our mission will take an exciting next step — we’ll be flying to the Philippines to conduct our first in-person outreach and teaching programs, covering the Ilocos Region, Cagayan Valley Region, and the National Capital Region (Manila). Our goal is to reach about 300 children through health education sessions, first aid training, and the distribution of first aid kits.

Alongside this, we’ll continue our tradition of spreading Christmas joy — providing gifts, meals, and moments of happiness to underserved communities.

Our Mission

From one small act of kindness in 2020 to a growing global effort today, Hope in Every Box Foundation continues to remind us that every simple gift — and every caring heart — can make the world a little brighter.

Every box is a promise of hope. Every act of giving lights another spark.