secular alternatives to Christmas shoeboxes

[Juno]

Does anyone know of any off the top of their heads? Want to get my bid in with ds1's headteacher early. Thanks in advance.

Hi Juno! xxx

Oh yes - me too. I had such a row about Operation Christmas Child a few years ago! I think the Head's forgiven me - just!

Bumping for Juno

I don't o operation Christmas Child either, school won't consider otherwise as they think that mossionary work is right etc etc, but instead for the teachers at Christmas we add an oxfam or UNICEF gift to their normal choccys- mroe than balances the cost. Course, some of the teachers binned the cards without opening but as they say, you can't legislate for idiots!

Used to like Op C/Child as felt I was doing something realy positive for the kids in enabling them to think about others over Christmas- this year, seriously considering tkaing them to choose gifts to send to the local refuge or the barnardos Unit.

Thanks for your ideas. But Dot, GET ON WITH SOME WORK!

I agree that the lovely thing about filling a shoebox is getting your kids to think about other, less fortunate children. Surely there are non-Christian - or at least, non-evangelising - charities who would do the same kind of thing?

www.linkromania.co.uk/
(don't put any Christian literature in the boxes, although they are a Christian organisation)

What's wrong with the fill a shoebox thing, is it because it's religious??

Sossy - don't get her started...

Aw go on...I don't understand!!

here

given that they operate in muslim places, look at the quote on oct 17th

Thanks, peachy - got there before me!

Sorry, yes, they apparently make people listen to Christian lectures etc before giving the shoeboxes out and put leaflets in the boxes - not appropriate in Muslim countries - all very missionary-esque.

Oh I see, thanks Peachy and Dotty. Was interested as my daughters school does this every year. I understand completely but at the end of the day as long as the kids get the box... ?

Hmm - I know what you mean and that's why I'm sort of on the fence about it. There were many threads about this on MN last year and I can't bring myself to get wound up about it either way because I think a lot of the positive stuff - i.e. getting ds's to think of other children less fortunate, what should go in the box, and then children getting the boxes does/should/could outweigh the whole evangelism thing...

But, also at the end of the day, if the kids get the box from a different organisation... ?

i.e. there are other organisations who do the same thing without quite such a strong agenda (I'm trying to remember who they are now, but there was a thread about this the year before, and the year before that, and the year before that(!) so I can look it up). Use one of those instead and your kids get the warm fuzzies, the kids get the box, and you aren't supporting Samariatn's Purse.

No, not really- you see the kids are pretty desperate- they mission tos treet kids etc- and in some Muslim countries, attending the meetings would be seen as extremely wrong so putting a child who may be say, three under pressure to make that level of decision in order to receive what is fairly absic survival things- hat, gloves etc- is bloody wrong! Certainly the point is that the kid receives the help- and that an be done far more eficitnly through the rather fanatstic Oxfam and UNICEF Christmas catalogues, which are online now.

Imagine if your child was deprived and a issionary came to their schools aying 'Ho there youngster, I ahve sweets, woolly hats, toys for you..... now pop over here whilst I try to convert you to islam just a inute'- can you imagine the outcry?

And FWIW I am nto anti-religion- I'm actually a RE undergrad- I just think the whole thing stinks. Resepctings omeones religion in their own OCuntry is pretty basic.

other things you can do to avoid the Samartians Purse thing but stillteach your child about giivng at Christmas-

Choosing and wrapping small gifts for the local refuge

Selecting gifts for teachers etc from the Oxfam and UNICEF catalogues (eg, school meals for a week, or 2 text books, for a fiver)

Choosing small puzzles etc and posting to the local hospital children's ward

There's lots you can do- it doesn't have to be this particular charity

Our local rotary cub does Operation Shoebox which is not religious at all

UNICEF

OXFAM

school dinners for 100 kids (ie a meal every week day)- £6, job done!

Some options:

Rotary shoebox appeal

Link Romania shoebox appeal

Hmm, yeah, I see what you mean. Tbh Samaritans purse is the only one I've heard off. I'm sure my daughter's school will be using it again this year. Maybe I will opt out this time!

There is something that baffles me, every year all the parents get together and buy the teacher a ridiculously expensive present for the teacher and their assistants. Now, no disrespect to the teachers, but it is their job and they are paid to do it. Most of the time they look incredibly embarrassed to receive such presents of great value (days at posh health spas including loads of treatments plus vouchers etc) and I always think the money would be more welcomed for something more charitable.