Samaritan's Purse asking children to create Christmas boxes - anyone heard of them?

[edam]

I'm a little uncomfortable about this charity using the school to promote their work and seek donations from small children because I'm vaguely aware that they have been accused of being unethical.

They are an evangelical organisation, which isn't very clear from the literature they give out, and they've been accused of withholding aid from Muslims and Hindus who refuse to convert to Christianity (including aid from governments, not just their own funds). I'm not sure how accurate this is.

Soooo, my question is, do any MNers know about this charity and what do you think of it?

Putting this onto 'threads I'm on' as ds's Cubs pack have asked us to do them.

I am a bit about this as I too have heard negative reports about them.

Problem is Cubs have linked it to the gaining of a much coveted Challenge badge (to encourage the boys to pester their parents to let them do this box no doubt)

There are some huuuge threads on here about this, so definitely do a search!

If you have a search there are some threads about Samaritan's Purse. All negative I think.
DD2 has just done a box, but it was with the Rotary Club which I am OK with. They specifically say there is no religious link or any conditions attached to their circulation of gifts.
DD1 did a box last year - she is 14 and so paid for the contents herself - it was with Samaritan's Purse. Rightly or wrongly, I just said well done that she wanted to do it.
If her school is doing the same thing this year I may have a discussion with her about it as there are some local charities who distribute to disadvantaged local children and might steer her in this direction instead.

It's difficult to judge as some stuff that comes up about them on internet searches is very sensationalist and biased, but have a read here. It's the most straightforward report I can find. I'm avoiding.

Ds's school is supporting Samaritan's Purse/Operation Christmas Child this year and I raised concerns with the headmaster who has basically told me to get lost! From all the research I've done I've come to the conclusion it's not a charity I'd want to support, not because it's Christian but because it makes it very clear (not so much in the UK but in the literature it distributes in the US) that its primary aim is conversion of anyone who doesn't follow the particular version of evangelical Christianity it advocates, not giving aid. The aid is very much a vehicle by which they gain access to people they want to convert.

Here are some links which might be useful:
www.guardian.co.uk/world/2003/nov/10/religion.society
www.inminds.co.uk/occ.html
www.pursestrings.ca/issues.htm
secularderby.org/purse.htm#N12

We did boxes for Samaritan's Purse last year at the junior school I work for - I showed the teacher who organised it one of the MN threads and she agreed that it sounded a bit dubious - it was too late to stop it then, but this year we are doing them for a smaller local organisation, which doesn't add the evangelical stuff.

I've raised it with dd's school management too, they've listened nicely but I'm guessing they're not going to change. I find it outrageous and trying to decide what to do next. Local paper?

A friend at my son's school went to Kyrghistan (sp) to help give out the boxes. She said the looks on the children's faces was completely magic. Some of them had NEVER had any kind of present before.

FWIW.

I know abraid, and that is why I would like to give my box.
But it does not sit well with me. Teh whole evangelical angle just is so at odds with what should be no-strings-attached-aid.

We have done our box. Ready for ds to take to Cubs on Monday. But do I let him take it? Or do I e-mail the Cubs leader about my doubts about Samaritans Purse?

Just got back from a very extended bedtime for ds (aaarrrgh). Thanks for the info and links. Will read carefully.

"Children are coming to faith in Jesus Christ through the Operation Christmas Child follow-up program"

Sorry, meant to say thanks abraid - I can appreciate that but it shouldn't be used to encourage or force people to convert. Gifts should be freely given.

I do know what you mean.

I am pretty upset about this. dd's school (non-religious) sent a leaflet out about Operation Christmas Child boxes, dd chose some things and we packed it up and took it in to school. Then I looked properly at the leaflet and saw it mentioned the gospel...

I am going to bring it up with the school - especially if there's a Rotary alternative. Suggest that they look at other charities to do it with. I'm not happy about the preaching and conversion aspect at all.

How has this charity got such a hold if what is being said is true? Sounds like the sort of thing that wouldn't be widely supported and yet appears to have the support of any number of large organisations/schools/scouts etc - including DD's nursery which is a major chain of nurseries and are doing boxes during the day with the children as well as asking parents to provide a box and £2.50 donation.

Seems pretty underhand as by looking superficially all you see is the PR about distributing gifts to those in need, regardless of religion/race etc.

I am reluctant to raise my doubts with the Cubs leader for just this reason sarahsmummy - what if they are genuine and the hype surrounding them is not true, I may look a bit of a donut

But on the other hand neither do I want to be a sheep who just trots along doing what is asked without responding to her own inner doubt...

Whatever you think of the negative publicity they have received, their website that TheBlonde linked to is pretty clear that they do seek to convert.

hippipotami and sarahsmummy- read TheBlond's link below - it is written by SAMARITAN'S PURSE about Operation Christmas Child - it's their own hype, written about themselves!

and some. see kazakhstan testimony.

hippi there is no chance you would be sheep, because this is a very dodgy charity.

So, a draft email to the Headmistress. What do we think? She's going to hate me, dd has only been there since September...

Dear xx,

Operation Christmas Child

I wanted to ask whether it was possible to reconsider using Operation Christmas Child as the distributor of the Christmas boxes in future years.

I wholeheartedly support the idea of encouraging the children to give to those less fortunate than themselves. My daughter thoroughly enjoyed choosing gifts and understood that they were for a little girl who wouldn't receive much else for Christmas.

However, looking more closely at the website of Samaritan's Purse, the organisation that operates Operation Christmas Child, I see that it is an evangelical Christian charity that seeks to give food, money and other assistance to people in need prior to preaching to them and attempting to convert them. It clearly states that it uses the Christmas boxes to "demonstrate God's love to sceptical communities".

I am not comfortable with the idea of supporting a charity that is not open, in its literature for the Christmas boxes, about this aspect of its work. I understand that the Rotary Club, amongst others, operate similar schemes without the associated proselytising. I appreciate that the school may have worked closely with Operation Christmas Child for several years, and that this may be an issue that you have already looked into, but would be very interested in your comments.

Many thanks

Snickersnack

under 'impact', sorry they are not linkable. or maybe even the internet found them unpalatable.

they are big on the abstinence-based hiv/aids funding.

I think they are unethical in the UK as they don't make their aims clear
The US site is much more honest

Snickers, I emailed ds's headmistress, pointing out the underhand way in which Operation Christmas Child operates (the literature they gave out at ds's school really doesn't explain how they use the boxes).

I didn't say anything at first for fear of upsetting anyone, and because it seemed too late. But yesterday the head asked for more people to contribute because they hadn't had many boxes filled. So at that point I decided to act.

Got a reply today in ds's bookbag, saying they knew it was an evangelical organisation - am shocked they went ahead with this - and that they have been assured that SP 'do not add promotional literature of any kind to the boxes'. That's contradicted by SP's own website under the 'Impact' section.

However, they do say in future years they will look at supporting the Rotary shoeboxes instead, which is something, I suppose.

This thread from last year indicates that not all boxes go to the "needy".

I like that fact that it is something my dcs canbe involved in and understand, but I think that the execution is far from ideal.