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!

There is the backpack project - or I found a local charity via a friend in Africa who did a shoebox on our behalf.

There are alternatives!

I thought I remembered a thread about this a few years ago, where the OP was in Kosovo and children who attended a local nursery got a shoebox, which they were a bit bemused by (well off, private nursery). Ignores fact that she can remember threads from four years ago but sometimes forgets her husband's name

Had a search and I found it.

It has some excellent posts on there (MrsSchadenfreude and Tiktok in particular) from people who feel strongly about the negative impact of these boxes, explaining exactly why they are not always a good thing.

I always give to the shoebox appeal. My children are lucky to be born here, they will have sacks and sack of presents this christmas from generous friends and family.

those poor children have nothing and i would rather they had something, i don't care who is organising it.

I normally put a colouring book and crayons in

I have read a great deal and have worked with aid charities in Kenya and Uganda. The proselytising was not widespread and was clamped down on about five years ago. Outdated info I feel.
Who cares if they talk to kids about faith? They are proactively doing something that makes a real difference to children in particular who may generally have a joyless life. I have not seen kids get these boxes, but I have seen their response when they taste a lollipop or have a coloured plaster. Let's not steal their joy because of our western cynicism. We have NO idea what poor families need unless we have been them, and those of you who are banging on about water have totally dehumanised the poor and passed judgement on them with your western superiority. Shame on you.

I am not interested in point scoring or being inflamitary thank you.

I simply take issue with any organisation or individual using charity work as a front for dishonestly pushing their own agenda.

I also take issue with people excusing an immoral agenda on the basis that it should be ignored as there are charity donations (either goods or £££s) at stake.

I have heard bad things about the shoebox thing, but I disagree that kids in some countries dont need gifts but need water etc. Yes they need water/food but sometimes a small gift can mean the world to them.

When we went to Kenya I was astounded by the poverty there. I made sure I contributed practical stuff to help a little but also when I got back I bought a load of little gifts like crayons/yo yos/drawing pads etc to send over to one of the orphanages. If we go back I will make sure I take plenty of things that will help.

The thing that I dislike is the fact that spreading their message should come from their own purse - by getting donations in a way that they hide their true message from people unaware of what they are actually donating to. If anyone wants to donate knowing what it is for then fair enough but to hide it behind the idea of children freely giving Xmas presents is v sneaky.

peachypips I care that they talk to kids about faith.

I do.

I object most strongly to sending gifts with religious propaganda added.

I support several charities. I do not support spreading anti-islamic and evangelical christian stuff to underprivileged children.

My son came home tonight and said - remind me mum, why don't you like operation Christmas child?

I take offence with the comment of 'joyless lives' above. Why do we think that providing unnecessary consumer goods to these 'poor unfortunate children' is a good thing. It is sanctimonious and doesn't solve any problems.

I would love to send a shoebox of presents to a needy child. I don't send one via Samaritans' Purse as I think it's abhorrent that children only receive their box after sitting through a lecture about how they should convert to Christianity and then having to recite "the Sinner's Prayer" (oh yes, that IS what they have to do). A gift should be just that - no strings attached. Unfortunately SP have lots of strings and so I do not support them.

McChristmaspants I bet nobody makes your kids say the Sinners' Prayer and promise to convert their religion before they get to open their presents. That's why people don't like Samaritans' Purse.

I take offence that these poor unfortunate children should not be allowed to have unnecessary consumer goods. All children should have a little joy in their lives. Of course they should have water/food/shelter, but they still deserve toys to play with.

I also think they shouldn't have to sit through a religious sermnon before they get these gifts. The gifts should be given with no strings attached.

Purple: But the point is, this particular scam does have strings attached. Which is why people advocate finding another way to help others.

OP, I'd add that the evangelist founder of the charity, Franklin Graham, draws a wage from it, which when added to his ministry's profit is around $1.2 million a year. I'm not going to contribute to a charity that lines the pockets of a disgusting, right-wing, homophobic, sexist bigoted prick. I'll donate to an alternate charity instead.

It's underhand and manages to exploit every child involved - both givers and receivers. Children who spend time and effort making and choosing things for the box in all innocence and kindness, and the receivers who are largely not Christians and not celebrating Christmas and who are being targeted for conversion.

If the Samaritan's Purse wants to convert Muslim children, they should a. be honest about it and b. fund their missionary work themselves, not get innocent children and their families to do it for them. Disgusting outfit.

If you want to do something nice for a stranger at Christmas, there are more reputable organisations who can help to channel your generosity - I think Rotary used to do a shoebox appeal, refuges are often in need of donations, Mary's Meals may still be doing the backpack project - I'm sure if you started a thread here you'd have lots of ideas.

I think religion should stay out of charities, teaching and politics. That being said though - it is often the religious charities that do the most good.
In this case I agree that it is wrong to push your religion via gifts.
Interestingly enough the secondary school I worked stopped doing the shoeboxes for all the reasons mentioned and the fact that it was made obvious that the shoeboxes weren't getting there. There must be something in what the OP is posting.
It would be good to find a charity that does this properly because the idea is so good and the children I worked with (who didn't have alot themselves) took great care over the shoeboxes.

Solid gold - from one of my previous posts you will see I did find a way without using these types of things.

I am objecting to people saying that gifts for kids that are this unfortunate are unnecessary as they need food etc. I am NOT agreeing that the shoebox appeal is a good thing.

If I didn't agree with something the school were doing, I just wouldn't contribute. If it is something they like to support, its unlikely they will stop unless lots of parents are against it.There is no need for him to be rude about it.

I didn't say they had joyless lives. I said they may generally. Which is true. Have you been to a slum?
I have a Kenyan arriving to stay with me on Saturday. He works with street kids. I'll ask him what he thinks. If he tells me it's a good thing I will take his advice - after all, his children would be recipients.

peachy many Kenyans are Christian so he might not have a problem with it, especially if he is religious. You would be better asking a non-Christian parent from a poor country

halcyon - if innocent people are being conned, especially children, anyone who realises this has a duty not only to avoid contributing but to speak out. I did that - ds's school had signed up without (I hope) realising quite what a hideous outfit this is. I collected lots of information and gave it to the school, and they decided to choose a different charity in future. (In fact, they asked me for a suggestion, so I started a thread, and posters very helpfully pointed me towards Mary's Meals and the Backpack Project, which was fab.)

Edam, it sounds like you went about it the right way, especially by suggesting an alternative. The op has already raised her objections with the school, whether she suggested an alternative, I don't know, but they have decided to go ahead with it. Which is their choice, and parents can choose whether or not to support it, but I don't think there is any need for her son to be cheeky in class.

Not sure if its already been said but there are alternative shoebox appeals,

Link Romania - I think they do a childrens box, family box or elderly box

Rotary Club shoebox appeal - go to eastern europe and run all year round, not just christmas.

There was one going for the armed forces, not sure if it still is.

My DDs school are doing operation christmas child but I don't think we'll be donating to it, if anything I think a nice toy donation to our local childrens ward or outpatients as thats more personal to us.