Operation Christmas child success...

[elinorbellowed]

Ok, not AIBU, but this is where I saw the last thread. Wrote to the HT of DS' primary school about the Christmas boxes and she stopped me today to tell me that they will not be doing it again. Thank you Mumsnet for the information.

[MagiMingeWassailsAgain]

Fab news.

[socharlotte]

I am sure you have made many children happy that they will be getting no toys this xmas

[RudolphLovesoftplay]

What's this about? My rec DS school does Christmas shoeboxes, is there something I should be much more aware of? X

[socharlotte]

It's about the shoeboxes being distributed at a church service and having a christian leaflet put inside.

[AngelDelightIsIndeedDelightful]

I haven't even had the courtesy of a reply to my email to the headteacher about it. He replied within an hour when I was asking a query about paying for school meals

[TimeForLunch]

What is the problem with them?

[kdiddy]

FGS socharlotte objecting to one organisation with extremely suspect methods and goals doesn't preclude anyone from channelling their charitable donations somewhere else. It's not as if there aren't plenty of other similar charities to work with to ensure kids get something at Christmas.

Well done OP

[TidyDancer]

The problem is the religious aspect. It is felt that they are disrespectful to other religions and attempt to push Christianity onto those who receive the boxes.

I don't like the idea of religion being connected to aid gifting, but it disturbs me a bit how much people hate this particular one. It's not as if Christmas is a Christian holiday is it? Oh....wait....

[OwedToAutumn]

Dd2's school is doing a different one. The boxes go to Romania and Kosovo. As you can imagine, she got the third degree about it, when she told me what they were doing.

[TidyDancer]

I would point out that there are other organisations that do this kind of thing free of religion, just that it's a bit scary how ragey people get about this one.

[OwedToAutumn]

Tidy, the organisation are an anti Islamist right wing fundamentalist Christian organisation. Try swapping the words Islamist and Christian around in that sentence, and imagine the boxes being distributed to your DC, with literature.

If I give a gift to a Muslim child (and my gift may well go to a Muslim country) I don't want that distributed with anti Islamist literature.

[Bogeyface]

socharlotte The majority of the kids who get the boxes dont celebrate Xmas, its meaningless to them. It is used as a way of converting them to Christianity.

If you are worried about kids not getting toys at Xmas I suggest you look closer to home. There are thousands of kids in the UK who wont get anything this Xmas and there are schemes in every town near me, so probably near you too, where you buy a gift for a child and the Round Table, or whichever group is running it, will distribute them to families in your local area.

Far more meaningful than a shoebox for a child who doesnt understand what its for and comes with not so much strings as ropes attached.

[ShamyFarrahCooper]

Weirdly just after the original thread I saw last week, we got a letter home explaining all about this. They are doing a class one or you can do an individual one.
I've just decided to not do it. DS only just started primary school, I'm not quite ready to be the social outcast yet.

(also, ds goes to a non-dom in Scotland but I must say I'm still surprised about how much religious stuff he comes home with. I expected him to learn about it but I dunno already it seems 'this is how it is'.)

[Bogeyface]

My lot came out with calendars from the local gospel church which I took back to the office with a firm "no thank you".

The secretary was fine about it but I got a very snotty look from the Head. I am used to them putting stuff through my door, which they do at least once a month, but I object to them targeting the schools like this and moreover, the schools going along with it.

[TidyDancer]

I am not remotely relgious Autumn, so it wouldn't matter a jot to me, that wasn't my point.

I'm not saying this is a "good" organisation, it's just wrt to how dangerous it is, the rage seems much higher. I agree that it is founded from a bad place, I would mainly just hope that people who reject it would do something else in the place of the shoebox.

[elinorbellowed]

It's OK socharlotte, I made a donation at Oxfam today and gave DS double donation money for Children in Need. DP is going to a charity event tonight and I'm helping wrap presents for charity tomorrow. I also donate to a local food bank. Despite being an atheist I support the local church in respect of history and culture and am happy to support Christian charity when it comes without strings. As charitable donations go, my conscience is clear. I will not support an evangelic organisation that preaches hatred of other cultures.
Shamy, DS has come home saying quite a lot about heaven and God, despite it being a non-dom school. However, he did come home very excited about Diwali with a 'Diva' lamp this week, so I guess they're covering all bases. I just say "Some people believe that..." and leave it to him.

[ShamyFarrahCooper]

Hmm I don't think his school has covered anything yet, but I'm wondering if it's because he is primary 1? Still I don't like him thinking this is how it is stance.