Operation Christmas Child

[LaMarschallin]

Picked up my box for this at church today.
Link if anyone is wondering what I'm on about:

www.samaritans-purse.org.uk/what-we-do/operation-christmas-child/

I asked our coordinator what was the category that got fewest donations and she reckons that, locally at least, it's boys aged 10-14.

It seems to make most sense to fill a box for that category, but... help required please!

I'm at that awkward age: my children (girls) and those of most of my friends and family are grown up but no grandchildren yet.
There's the odd younger boy (oldest 5) around, but I'd really appreciate some ideas.

Suggestions are: a quality toy, with other "fun toys, hygiene items and school supplies".

We can't send:
Clothing other than hats, scarves and gloves;
War-related items such as toy guns/knives, military figures;
Seeds;
Sweets, chocolate or food items;
Toothpaste, lotions or liquids, including bubbles;
Medicines;
Hand-made stuffed toys;
Playing cards of the 4 suit variety;
Religious or political literature;
Sharp or fragile items;
Books with mainly words.

Ideas very welcome!

Link:

www.samaritans-purse.org.uk/what-we-do/operation-christmas-child/

Wouldn’t touch it with a barge pole.

Is there not controversy about that particular charity?

You're not going to get the replies you're expecting OP. Unless you know that already and fancied poking a stick in the nest

Evangelically Christian and ludicrous air miles. There will be local charities that do something similar.

It's not for me...

I wouldnt touch it either tbh.

There are plenty local charities who would appreciate your Shoebox I should think.

Is it time already for the yearly “why we don’t support Samaritan’s purse” thread?

Look them up and then donate to a worthwhile cause of your choice. [santa]

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

I have a 10y/o boy and all hes interested in is football, computer games and eating. Maybe some football cards?

LaMar - I also fill the shoeboxes, and for a boy of that age I would include toiletries, a wind up torch, dominoes, stationery, perhaps a pair of socks/scarf/gloves, a magnifying glass , perhaps a jigsaw, collapsible beaker, some fun straws, and this year I managed to buy a small knapsack (purchased in pound shop), also a beanie or peaked cap if possible. I hope this will be of help to you. I also put in a Christmas card with a small message of cheer, but always anonymously.

Anyone looking to give this christmas search Rock FM Mission Christmas!

Iv seen first hand the children's faces when they received their one & only present 💝

www.google.co.uk/amp/s/amp.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/nov/08/christmas-evangelical-christians-samaritans-purse-children-muslim-countries

Link for anyone wondering what previous posters are talking about.

Would a deflated football fit in a shoebox? Would probably need to include a hand pump too if you did that though

Please google Franklin Graham and either Islam or homophobia before you contribute anything to this organisation. (He is the ceo).

I always do boxes for that age group but we've always been allowed to put sweets in as long as they are individually wrapped - Like starburst for example. Suggestions;
Beanie hat or pair of gloves
Pens and any other stationary
Compass
Christmas socks
Football magazine

Do people really still support Samaritans purse?!

Avoid.

Your local Rotary club probably does something similar.

Or John Lewis usually has a gift list for children who’ll be spending Christmas in refuges due to domestic violence.

Supermarkets often have donation boxes near the checkouts for underprivileged children. You could add stationery, toiletries or chocs, which would suit that age group.

I once volunteered at a residential school for the disabled in India. Their resource cupboard was full of wrapped up shoeboxes with toys and items enclosed, all with American labels and price tags.

The school was charity run by nuns who would periodically raid the shoeboxes for items which they sold to local villagers from the school shop. The money raised from the shop did go back into the school but the nuns lived an extravagant life whilst the children had the bare minimum; certainly the children had nothing of their own. Clothes were shared, food was basic and there weren’t toys available to play with in the bedrooms or classrooms. I don’t know whether the shoeboxes arrived and were immediately put in the cupboard without the kids ever seeing them or whether they were given to them for the photo opportunity and then taken away by the nuns as soon as the charity organisers left but certainly the children had not been allowed to keep anything in them as the shoeboxes were mostly full and the items within were all still in their packaging.

It’s also worth noting that most of the American toys and items just sat in the school shop unbought, many of them unknown, uninteresting or useless to the local village children and adults. If you want to provide useful items to people you will have far more luck sourcing those items from their local communities than sending items from the UK which might seem relevant to a 10 year old in the UK but be completely useless to or unwanted by a child in another culture.

Fucking hideous “charity” that should be boycotted and shut down.

www.secularism.org.uk/opinion/2019/09/operation-christmas-child-does-its-charity-benefit-the-public

No chance. Homophobic, racist evangelical wankers.

I assume you are a Christian, OP, so think you are doing a good thing, but do you really support the brand of Christianity promoted by Samaritan's Purse?

It is led by Franklin Graham, who thinks that Trump was elected by God's will and who uses Samaritan's Purse to promote his own type of American fundamentalist religion in developing countries, using shoeboxes of toys to get children to sign up for bible classes rather than actually helping them.

thebulwark.com/how-franklin-graham-is-perverting-his-fathers-legacy/

video.samaritanspurse.org/operation-christmas-child-touches-nepal/

Sorry.
Didn't know about the politics behind it.
It seemed like a good thing to do - I realise I might be being very naive.
Hope I haven't upset anyone.

Op I don't think anyone is upset by you, you have tried to do a lovely thing. I think people are upset that this is still going on and churches are blindly supporting this charity without question.

The topic comes up on MN almost every year around this time, as the promotion rolls out in churches and schools, though a lot of schools have stopped supporting it as people became more aware of what the underlying motivation of the 'charity' was.

I hope you weren't upset by all the responses, but OCC does trigger strong feelings on here, as in the past the UK organisers have actually tried to silence and even sue some MNers for what they have posted about the organisation on here.