They call him Mr. OCC

When David Greenwood was sentenced to 46 hours of community service helping with Operation Christmas Child his sophomore year, he thought, it won’t be as bad as picking up trash.

At the time, he didn’t know much about OCC. Laurie Diel, CSU’s OCC coordinator, assigned him to the Charleston Room assembling the boxes that arrive flat, working with volunteers from off campus. By the end of his service, he was calling the volunteers “my ladies” and coming around to volunteer not because he had to, but because he wanted to.

He began checking in with Diel every day, asking what’s my assignment? At the packing party, Greenwood got a sense of what a great thing was happening. People were praying for the children who would receive a box. “I realized a kid somewhere across the world was going to get a box that I helped with,” he said. 

At the beginning of this year, he wanted to do something big. “OCC has turned into a passion, something I want to do,” said Greenwood. He served as a coordinator, had more jobs, and recruited a lot of his friends to help. With the campus goal set at 10,000 boxes, Greenwood knew it was going to take a big team effort. He recruited his girlfriend, SarahEmily Durham, to help. Now, Durham wants to take over Greenwood’s role when he graduates next year. 

Greenwood loves helping people and working behind the scenes. He plans to be a firefighter and then put his psychology degree to work helping First Responders with PTSD. 

His girlfriend had a t-shirt made this fall that says Mr. OCC. Greenwood was uncomfortable with the recognition, but Diel said, “You are Mr. OCC. No one does more than you.”

Greenwood is thankful for all the people who have helped him get to where he is. He said, “I’m thankful to my old high school coaches, my family, people at CSU, and especially God. There’s not anything quite like OCC. You know it’s going to be good, and you reach a kid’s heart for the gospel.”

Greenwood said, “It’s a good feeling to help out. You might be a sweaty, ugly mess at the end of the day, but you know a kid’s going to have his day made.”

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