To be proud of DS over this (warning, naughty parent/Operation CHristmas CHild-related)

[SolidGoldYESBROKEMYSPACEBAR]

Ds is 8 and his school will persist in the poxy Samaritans' Purse appeal though I have written and complained at least twice (if you don't already know, it's a racist rightwing evangelical organisation, culturally insensitive, despised by most aid charities and a waste of resources.). I have never contributed to it and never will, and have explained to DS that it's a bad organisation run by bad people, and that good people (like those at his school) don't always understand that sometimes bad people pretend to be good...

Anyway, today, according to DS, one of the teachers asked the DC to guess how many shoeboxes they were going to get this year/how many they hoped for. DS raised his hand and said...... 'ZERO'

That's m'boooy!

Chaoscarriesonagain - please do read the thread. OCC/Samaritan's Purse do a great deal of very bad things. There are plenty of legitimate charities out there, if you want to support a good cause choose one of them, not this bunch of shysters.

I avoid religious charities whenever possible anyway, because, even though some religious people and organisations do good work, religion is fundamentally a bad thing. I will certainly continue to warn everyone possible against OCC as it is a racist, homophobic scam. People who don't believe that are either gullible idiots or homophobic racists themselves.

I feel really upset about this as I organised a collection a couple of years ago. The children were really proud to have taken part. Had no idea the organisation had such a bad press

I've just been into my local Tesco. They have a huge Christmas tree up covered in gift tags. Each tag is for a certain gift. You buy the gift, wrap it, stick on the tag, leave it at Customer Services and they'll deliver to the local children's hospice.

A lovely idea :-)

Hope they are doing it in other stores.

Our school does this, but it is called "Love in a Box" and the boxes are given locally through a local charity. No religious agenda at all.

Love in a Box is part of the Mustard Seed Relief Mission, which is Christian ... but does not seem to have the issues that OCC/SP has.
www.msrm.org.uk/index.html

This is their own statement from Samaritan's Purse which confirms their religious propaganda and why I would not support them either.

If you want to fill shoe boxes with gifts for the needy then homeless shelters and refuges will happily accept them. For adults toiletries, tooth brushes and sanitary protection are appreciated and similar items and small gifts for children too.

I quite agree with the point made by a pp that shipping boxes of pound shop tat most likely made by the recipients for slave wages is ridiculous.

I had no idea about it. I'm glad I didn't go to the effort of organising it this year.