Operation Christmas Child shoeboxes

[Zippa D Doodah]

What a neat program! For the 7th consecutive year we are sending shoeboxes full of hydeine supplies and toys to kids somewhere else on earth. Our family has spent about $100 on this project, and we really feel blessed to be able to do it. The great part is seeing how excited our kids get about helping others. They actually take money out of their own piggy banks -$ they have earned doing chores -and bought oodles of stuff at the Dollar Tree today. Thsi coming week is "Collection Week". Anyone else enjoying filling shoueboxes this year?

 

[luvmarypoppins]

We love doing this too each year. I went to dollar tree too and sadly I must say I hardly got anything. What did you find at yours. I also got some stuff at Big Lots but I have alot more shopping to do. We do l girl and the rest boys for our 3 ds. Also at ds school they are doing it for a mission project. We do it at our church too. I am hoping to do 4-5. Our collection date is the 19th. I also saw this year they asked you to double bag the candy which I never did before. I just put the soap in a baggie because of the scent.

 

[Toby'sFriend]

anybody interested can visit here:

http://www.samaritanspurse.org/OCC_About.asp?OCCPath=1

There is also a link to find your closest box-dropoff point.

 

[chell]

Make sure to follow the guidelines and don't include chocolate and other items on the no-no list.

If you have time write a note to place in the box along with a picture of your family. But please do not be upset if the child does not write you back. You wouldn't believe how many people get upset every year because their recipient never writes back. Many of these children are in areas where they have no one to translate the letter after the distribution crew is gone.

These boxes really do mean the world to the children who receive them.

 

[LiLIrishChick63]

my parent's church does this and i think it's a really good idea too. they get lots of little cute things for the kids and fill up the boxes to the max. i'm glad more people are doing it too.

 

[ksjayhawks]

We do this every year--have only missed one year, the first, because we didn't know about it until it was too late. We are wrapping our shoeboxes and filling them this weekend.

 

[cvemom]

My DD's class is doing it in school this year and families can also join in and do their own. We are. I think it's a great program for the holiday season. My DD had such a great time shopping for it.

 

[lulugirl]

We just got back from Target, shopping for items to fill our shoeboxes. My neighbor told me about Samaritans purse, this is our first year participating.

 

[Zippa D Doodah]

We love doing this too each year. I went to dollar tree too and sadly I must say I hardly got anything. What did you find at yours. I also got some stuff at Big Lots but I have alot more shopping to do. We do l girl and the rest boys for our 3 ds. Also at ds school they are doing it for a mission project. We do it at our church too. I am hoping to do 4-5. Our collection date is the 19th. I also saw this year they asked you to double bag the candy which I never did before. I just put the soap in a baggie because of the scent.

We found dolls, coloring books, crayons, diecast cars, balls, etc. The kids insisted on whoopee cushions (not sure those will make the final cut). We bought most hygeine items from Wal-Mart.
Our Dollar Tree had a big stack of plastic boxes and we decided to go that route this year for four of the five boxes. Some lucky kid is going to get a size 14 shoebox from me that will be stuffed full. It's kind of a running joke in the family each year that some kid will be extra blessed because the boxes from my shoes are so humongous.

 

[princessesrule4]

Our Girl Scout troop is doing this next week! They are excited about writing notes to the children and getting the shoeboxes together - such a great cause!

 

[SleepyMom]

DD's school is also doing this... we went shopping a few days ago and she had a blast picking out the items, she did a box for a boy and a girl. DD also included a note to each child. We shopped at Dollar Tree and found way more than enough to stuff each box full.

 

[Zippa D Doodah]

We have not sent notes or pix in the past, but we plan to include them this year. Last spring DD9's teacher had a guest come to elementary school class -a young woman who had received a shoebox years earlier and was now going to school here in the US, and was able to track down and meet the person who had sent her the shoebox years earlier. Very heartwarming story.

 

[chell]

The kids insisted on whoopee cushions (not sure those will make the final cut).

In the past they have made the final cut.

 

[hercamore]

Hi,

Yes, we started participating in this project about 5 years ago thru our church. I have a shoe box out now during the year that I stash "deals" in when I find them. Got some school supplies cheaper in aug that I used.

herc.

 

[kbkids]

We've been doing this for years, but instead of the typical shoe box, one of the things we have started doing is buying the rubbermaid type of shoe box. We've been told the parents can use the box for carrying water and other things. Makes sense instead of just a box they might throw away.

 

[chell]

We've been doing this for years, but instead of the typical shoe box, one of the things we have started doing is buying the rubbermaid type of shoe box. We've been told the parents can use the box for carrying water and other things. Makes sense instead of just a box they might throw away.

Those hold up so well and are so easy to process and pack.

 

[Tink&SquirtsMom]

I organize this for my church (meaning I order the supplies, brochures, posters, information and present the idea in front of church, remind people, post the info in our bulletin, man the table to collect the boxes, then bring the boxes to the distribution center). This year looks to be the biggest ever for our church. If your church doesn't have this program, you can do this too. Its really easy and all the info to get started is on the samaritans purse website. I love this program.

One thing I did this year in our own boxes, was put in doubles or more of some of the smaller items. When I was in Africa I saw that lots of the kids would give away the stuff we gave them to friends or siblings who hadn't gotten something (for example, if we gave them a pack of fruit snacks in the orphanage they would save them till they were outside and eat one and then give one each to a bunch of the street kids outside). So I put extras in, so hopefully if they gave some stuff away they would have more.

 

[VickiVM]

Wow - I didn't know there was an organization that did this. My mom has been doing this for years on her own. Just this year she's gotten her church involved in supporting her efforts. She has a hard time finding someone to take her boxes into Mexico (which is where she wants to boxes to go).

I'll have to tell her about the organization that does this and maybe she can connect with them to help her find a destination and someone to transport.

She's very picky about her boxes, though. She makes her boxes age-specific and tries to include Christian books. She may not want to conform to a different criteria.

God bless those that go out of their way to serve others at holiday time (or anytime)!

 

[pansmermaidzlagoon]

I love the idea of this - was ready to plan filling the shoeboxes - then I went online and saw that they also request $7 per box to cover "shipping and evangelicalistic outreach". Wanting to know where my money would go - I investigated further and found I don't like or support their beliefs or policies: "Islam is evil"....the whole condom/HIV thing......guess I will find another outlet......the overall idea is awesome - and I would love to do this - IF I could send the shoeboxes alone or just send money for shipping. I would have no problem with this - but can not send one dime of my money to support their evangelical endeavors.....

anyone know of something similar without the requiring you send money to support the goupr/policies - or a group doing so with better policies?????

(Also, did not rate well at BBB due to non-disclosure etc)

 

[VickiVM]

I love the idea of this - was ready to plan filling the shoeboxes - then I went online and saw that they also request $7 per box to cover "shipping and evangelicalistic outreach". Wanting to know where my money would go - I investigated further and found I don't like or support their beliefs or policies: "Islam is evil"....the whole condom/HIV thing......guess I will find another outlet......the overall idea is awesome - and I would love to do this - IF I could send the shoeboxes alone or just send money for shipping. I would have no problem with this - but can not send one dime of my money to support their evangelical endeavors.....

anyone know of something similar without the requiring you send money to support the goupr/policies - or a group doing so with better policies?????

(Also, did not rate well at BBB due to non-disclosure etc)

I can understand your reluctance. Don't let the organization stop you. Find another outlet to support. Sounds like you have a desire to support something that helps children in some way during the holidays. There are so many organizations that are non-political/denominational.

You can click on my link in my signature below. That's just one of so many non-profit organizations that truly seek to help people all over the world in a humanitarian way. My organization, for example, was started by Christians with a desire to fulfil God's purpose in their lives, but is stricly non-political and non-denominational.

Your church or synagogue may be able to provide you with names of international organizations that they support.