To ask for alternatives to Samaritans purse

[JustaBasicBitch]

DS came home from school with a letter yesterday along with a flyer for samaritans purse.

I've vaguely explained to him that we won't be doing the box for school but we will put some toys in the foodbank/supermarket collection and maybe do our own

I would like us to do one but also to provide school with an alternative. I tried to explain at drop off why but the breakfast club nanny looked a bit blank.

Can anyone suggest an alternative collection and if you have to hand any of the links to the info on SP I can send them? (it was quite a while since I read but I have seen on here recently)

Yuo mean you want to tell the school that they should be supporting another cause?

Why?

Because I would prefer not to support a 'charity' that exchanges gifts for enforced religion.

I'm not sure how much the school/other parents are aware either, so I would just like to put forward an alternative so the DCs of those of us that object don't feel left out.

Spunge Samaritans Purse is an awful chartity run by rightwing fundamentalist.

Well dont support it - but more importantly - do your own research - if you have a little look-see at the site it does a lot of good work - but if you feel that people should continue to live in squalor, famine, poverty because you have some ridiculous miguided sense of morals, so be it. Do you think that they have to recite Psalms before a bowl of gruel or something?

Christianity is about love, forgiveness and sharing.

All religion is forced.

Think I believed a word of the nonsense when collecting First Communion cash from Uncles and Aunts?

I suggest you pick your battles. Looking to 'educate' an entire school as to what charity they should be supporting doesn't seem like the smart choice.

I've no doubt that the breakfast Nanny was confused. Why did you think she was the right person to explain this to? Were you expecting her to get out her Mac and send an 'all staff and parents' email changing the plan?

Honestly, I vaguely agree with your sentiment but the issue is most charity is as convoluted, wasteful and meaningless as each other.

One of the very few places I'd want to send a meaningful amount of money is Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

"Christianity is about love, forgiveness and sharing."

That and hating the gays!

That and hating the gays!

What an oudates view. I don’t know any Christians that hate gay people. 3 of them are actually gay/ lesbian.

OP I collated information about the evangelism aspect of SP and took it to the headmaster when DD was in reception. The school no longer supports SP and neither does any other school in the cluster after the (horrified) Head took the info to a meeting. So it's a very smart and worthwhile endeavour.

The British Humanist Association lists alternatives on their site, I'd recommend you take a look there. Our school now collects items for local people who are homeless or vulnerably housed.

Its not forced religion at all. They do so much good work and give out information on christianity at the same time because they are a christian charity. Nothing is forced.

Oh dear, spunge back in the dark ages. Do try and get to the 21st century. The only preacticing christians I know happen to rip roaring homosexuals, and they havent been stoned yet.

Love in a Box by Mustard Seed Relief Mission is who our school used.

I couldn't find anything controversial when I looked into it a few years ago.

Our church does the backpack project where you donate a rucksack containing stationery, toiletries and clothes to enable a child to go to school - and there's no proselytising agenda involved.

Christianity is indeed about love, forgiveness and sharing. Quite a lot of Christians think it's rather inappropriate to make receiving aid in a Muslim country conditional on cooperation with an inappropriate kind of evangelism.

Not all Christians are homophobic but those involved with Samaritan's Purse certainly are. And Islamaphobic. And yes, there are numerous documented instances of people being forced to pray before receiving humanitarian aid.

humanistlife.org.uk/2015/10/14/why-parents-shouldnt-support-operation-christmas-child/

I collect for toiletries and treats boxes for Project Shoebox. These provide boxes for Womens Refuge.

There are plenty of alternatives out there.

Dunk do you anything about the man behind SP?

Little message from his Facebook Page. So I'd rather support someone who doesn't hate muslims or gay people.

Thanks for all the suggestions for alternatives, will check them out as I would like to put forward an option rather than just leaving people to
continue to live in squalor, famine, poverty as suggested by a PP

Welshmaenad yes that's exactly what I want to do- I think that may have been where I read up on it before but needed a reminder

Oh and no Spunge I don't think she was the right person to speak to- but she's the only one I will see this week.

I would like to put together some info to pass to the head/board to request they consider an alternative, as a poster upthread has done in the past

I emailed our head about SP last year and can PM the email or paste it here if anyone's interested

Link to Hope has been suggested as a better option although I prefer to just donate to charities directly.

There are lots of similar threads in the archive if you search for "Operation Christmas Child". Also Google "criticism oper..."

I gave the head of our local school some information a couple of years ago. They now do boxes for Refuge.
Will not support Samatirans Purse/Operation Christmas Child.

ghosts would you PM me the email please?

Have messaged you Justa.

The head of this charity is on record with his views.

Even without evangelism, sending cutesy ickle boxes of crap round the planet is beyond stupid. Stuff goes to local causes, support abroad by sending money to reputable agencies .

OP if you do a search on MN for SP you'll find a thread with about 120 posts on it. A few people, including me, posted text of letters/emails sent to school about this. It was successful in my case.

Another one here who successfully got the school to move from SP to another, less homophobic / racist / horrible organisation with a simple email to the Head and a link to the Humanist articles