Samaritan's Purse

[LauraEadon]

We always make up a couple of boxes each year, sometimes more. I didn't know you could track your box. Love that idea!!!

Great way to bring a bit of happiness into a childs life on Christmas. One who might have had no gifts can now receive something.

I didn't know they could be tracked until this year! I will be excited to see where mine end up!! I will be sending a box for each age group

 

[LauraEadon]

my kids pack boxes and turn them in through our church.

this year, one of the pictures in the brochure actually featured a box sent out by one of our church members. i thought that was neat.

we also donate toys through our local charities.

That's great. I think it's important to support your local community as well.

I'm really lucky to be in a tight knit community where all the churches, all religions, join together to help needy families for the holidays.

 

[sam_gordon]

I think poster was pointing out that it is a church thing since OP did not point that out in the OP.

I disagree. formill said public school's shouldn't support this (which I agree with). But, as far as I know, public school's AREN'T supporting the organization. So why bring it up? It's like saying "The Mystery Machine shouldn't support murder." (IMO)

 

[The Mystery Machine]

It's for needy kids. Didn't post it to be political. Didn't post it to be religious. Didn't post it to be for or against anything.

It's. For. Kids.

You aren't helping support anti anything. You are supporting needy kids.

Simple Compassion.

I won't go into details since political posts are not allowed but you are free to go and do your own homework.

The fact is funds were used from Samaritian's Purse to promote their anti gay agenda.

Not to mention the leader of Samaritian's Purse views are anti gay to begin with.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

I disagree. formill said public school's shouldn't support this (which I agree with). But, as far as I know, public school's AREN'T supporting the organization. So why bring it up? It's like saying "The Mystery Machine shouldn't support murder." (IMO)

Who knows why the poster said that. I was just offering a pausible answer. The poster will have to comment themselves then.

 

[powellrj]

My circle is meeting to pack our boxes this week. Last year we did 15, which our group is only 20, so thats pretty good. I have bought soap, hair supplies and school supplies for this round!

My bible study will pack shoe boxes in november. Last year we did 8, which for 6 women I thought was pretty good.

This year we are using their boxes instead of using ours and wrapping them.

This isn't our only christmas project. We also support toys for tots and our local middle school special needs classes and we will pick a local group. The last 2 years we have done our local womens crisis group.

I agree this might not be the best activity if you are a public school, but around here we have many christian schools and home school groups that it would be perfect for.

 

[Princess Dolly]

I won't go into details since political posts are not allowed but you are free to go and do your own homework.

The fact is funds were used from Samaritian's Purse to promote their anti gay agenda.

Not to mention the leader of Samaritian's Purse views are anti gay to begin with.

I just read a crazy letter that was posted on a site associated with Samaritian's Purse.

 

[luvmy3jewels]

I used to make a couple of shoe boxes with my kids every year to donate to this charity. However, I stopped doing so after researching where the monetary donations for this cause goes to. Most of it goes towards "administrative costs" and not the actual cause itself.

Now we usually pick a couple of angels from the Salvation Army tree locally and shop for needy kids in our community.

 

[Buckalew11]

We pack shoe boxes also. I love the idea of being able to track the shoebox.

We always buy for local kids also. Honestly, no one in my family does not have their needs met so we go easy on Christmas these days and really focus on kids who need their basic needs met and a fun surprise too. I'm always sad to read their "wish list" and see things like undies and a coat on there--not things kids usually have to "wish" for at Christmas.

 

[Teresa Pitman]

It's for needy kids. Didn't post it to be political. Didn't post it to be religious. Didn't post it to be for or against anything.

It's. For. Kids.

You aren't helping support anti anything. You are supporting needy kids.

Simple Compassion.

No, you are supporting needy kids with the purpose of spreading the Christian gospel (as is made clear on their website). I personally think that is wrong, and I think people are often misled into thinking this is just about giving gifts to children. It is not. So mentioning it IS religious, because this is a religious organization.

I do support children in need, but through organizations where that is the sole purpose, and there is no intent to convert these children to the group's religion.

TP

 

[Buckalew11]

No, you are supporting needy kids with the purpose of spreading the Christian gospel (as is made clear on their website). I personally think that is wrong, and I think people are often misled into thinking this is just about giving gifts to children. It is not. So mentioning it IS religious, because this is a religious organization.

I do support children in need, but through organizations where that is the sole purpose, and there is no intent to convert these children to the group's religion.

TP

I think that's fair to bring up. I doubt I'd support a organization that was "helping kids" but spreading a religious message I did not agree with.

 

[NHdisneylover]

It's for needy kids. Didn't post it to be political. Didn't post it to be religious. Didn't post it to be for or against anything.

It's. For. Kids.

You aren't helping support anti anything. You are supporting needy kids.

Simple Compassion.

There are plenty of organizations which help kids without attaching religious proselytizing to it. I think it is very good to make sure people know what they are really doing when they help--and then they can decide if that s what they want to do or not, and f not find another organization which is a better fit for their beliefs.

 

[LauraEadon]

My circle is meeting to pack our boxes this week. Last year we did 15, which our group is only 20, so thats pretty good. I have bought soap, hair supplies and school supplies for this round!

My bible study will pack shoe boxes in november. Last year we did 8, which for 6 women I thought was pretty good.

This year we are using their boxes instead of using ours and wrapping them.

This isn't our only christmas project. We also support toys for tots and our local middle school special needs classes and we will pick a local group. The last 2 years we have done our local womens crisis group.

I agree this might not be the best activity if you are a public school, but around here we have many christian schools and home school groups that it would be perfect for.

Wow! That's a lot of boxes! That's wonderful. I don't actually make them through a church, but where I drop my boxes off to (a local church) they have groups like yours doing them and make quite a few.

 

[LauraEadon]

We pack shoe boxes also. I love the idea of being able to track the shoebox.

We always buy for local kids also. Honestly, no one in my family does not have their needs met so we go easy on Christmas these days and really focus on kids who need their basic needs met and a fun surprise too. I'm always sad to read their "wish list" and see things like undies and a coat on there--not things kids usually have to "wish" for at Christmas.

I love reading posts like this.

We have everything we need and most everything were want. Donating a toy and a coat for a few kids each year (toys for tots and coats for kids) is the least we can do.

 

[Jedana]

We do the shoebox thing at DS's cub scout pack (through a church). I do not know if it is through this organization or if it is just through the church, as they have missionary trips going on all the time. Our family usually does a couple.

Our pack last year did 120 boxes. The church had over 400 boxes donated.

The church provides clear plastic boxes for this.


Locally:
We also do a toy drive in DH's den for the local children's home in November. They received 34 presents last year (from 14 boys).

The pack does a food drive for the local food bank (over 100 lbs of food last spring) twice a year--winter and spring.

 

[skater]

We pack shoe boxes also. I love the idea of being able to track the shoebox.

We always buy for local kids also. Honestly, no one in my family does not have their needs met so we go easy on Christmas these days and really focus on kids who need their basic needs met and a fun surprise too. I'm always sad to read their "wish list" and see things like undies and a coat on there--not things kids usually have to "wish" for at Christmas.

Its sort of humbling to see basic needs on a kids Christmas wish list.

 

[Buckalew11]

Its sort of humbling to see basic needs on a kids Christmas wish list.

Most certainly!

My DD has almost always had several coats to choose from--and us too. We do have a program called "Coats for the Cold" (that may be nationwide) and it makes donating coats easy. I also do a few school teacher's hair and they always have kids who they notice need basics.

 

[formill]

I disagree. formill said public school's shouldn't support this (which I agree with). But, as far as I know, public school's AREN'T supporting the organization. So why bring it up? It's like saying "The Mystery Machine shouldn't support murder." (IMO)

Only reason I know about it is because my public school child came home with info about how they were going to pack these shoeboxes!! I looked it up online and was shocked.....then read more and there are actually many public schools supporting it without getting the proper information about it or passing that info to parents. Some schools in Calgary Alberta and Northern Ontario have now banned them........but there are still more that are unaware of the true mission in these boxes and it has nothing to do with helping needy children.
http://pursestrings.ca/
http://www.inminds.co.uk/occ.html

 

[autumnpalm]

Our church usually sends about 500 shoeboxes overseas every Christmas.


I absolutely love filling mine and have already started shopping for my 4 "kids" this Christmas. I just found out about the tracking feature, I can't wait to see where they end up this year.

I do understand those who would not want to support an organization that contradicts their own beliefs, and yes, Samaritan's Purse is a religious organization. However, I believe they do great work and support them proudly.

 

[sam_gordon]

Only reason I know about it is because my public school child came home with info about how they were going to pack these shoeboxes!! I looked it up online and was shocked.....then read more and there are actually many public schools supporting it without getting the proper information about it or passing that info to parents. Some schools in Calgary Alberta and Northern Ontario have now banned them........but there are still more that are unaware of the true mission in these boxes and it has nothing to do with helping needy children.
http://pursestrings.ca/
http://www.inminds.co.uk/occ.html

Ah, thank you for the explanation. I'm not sure how I feel about your situation. On the one hand, I understand and fully believe in keeping religious organizations out of the schools. On the other hand, I'm not sure a flyer promoting an event constitutes "support."

In our area, Upward Bound has a basketball league. I'm pretty sure they send a flyer home with students saying when sign ups are. For those not familiar with the Upward program, it has various sports (basketball, soccer, cheerleading that I know of) activities and religion is a part of it. There is a pre-game prayer, half time devotional, etc. Does sending a flyer (which then gives the parents the opportunity to investigate) constitute "support"? I'm not sure.