Operation Christmas Child - has anyone successfully argued and won...

[Luna7993]

DDs school has already sent out a message notifying us to "Save Shoe boxes for Operation Christmas Child!" Last year I got in a huge discussion with head about how I thought this was an inappropriate charity. Gearing up again for another Christmas season of arguing :(
DD goes to a CofE school (we had no other option in terms of our location) so I understand why we need to support Christian charities, but I have issues particularly with OCC due to their evangelical nature, inappropriate use of aid, etc etc (google if you need more info). I'm just wondering if anyone has ever successfully got their school to reconsider supporting this group. Thanks!

Yes! I sent a letter to the head a few years ago, including some carefully chosen links, and they've never done the awful things since!

Yes.

They invited someone in to talk about it too the children in assembly. I wrote and complained that they were failing in their statutory duty to prevent extremism.

MsGus - this article gives a pretty good summary of why many people object to them: humanistlife.org.uk/2015/10/14/why-parents-shouldnt-support-operation-christmas-child/

Or if you google Franklin Graham (the head of Samaritan's Purse, the American charity which runs Operation Christmas Child) you may also realise why people object to his views on muslims, homosexuality, politics etc, some of which he uses his organisation to promote (e.g. campaigning against same-sex marriage).

Samaritan's Purse also threatened to sue a number of posters on MN a few years ago, which somehow did not add to their popularity on here...

I think most charities are corrupt. I don't think this one is any better or worse. I certainly wouldn't reserve particular indignation for them because they are evangelising.

Who can trust charities these days?

I tried Op and to be fair, the teachers did see the problem once it was pointed out (links etc). Unfortunately, the person organising it didn't see the issue and so it continues.

This is one that reaches into schools up and down the country so ignoring it seems less like an option.

MsGus - I don't think anyone was accusing OCC/SP of corruption, but I think most charities active in British schools are a bit more straightforward about their aims. The lack of clarity about the evangelical nature of Operation Christmas Child has always been one of the biggest complaints about it.

Our school did the shoe boxes, every one had to do one but we didn't take part. I told my children to say if they where asked for their shoe box, to tell the teacher that they had given to a charity that we support. If that wasn't acceptable tell the teacher to speak to me about it. They never did.

I'm place marking for when Samaritans Purse turn up and tell us we hate children, and their organisation is completely legit and lovely.

I succeeded the second year (I was too late the first year I tried). But it's a community school, and they did go for another shoebox scheme, so it's still not a very efficient way of giving. I used the page from the Humanist Society, which had the reasons why it might not be appropriate and lots of links for alternatives.

Yes, I always enjoy that part, Hermione, it makes me feel like Christmas is coming.

at horizon

Yep - letter came out on Thursday. I sent a long email on Thursday night. Letter came out on Friday to say "due to info that has come to light" they weren't doing it anymore and we're doing different shoebox thing instead.

Yes I have. I contacted the school last year; they took it to the governing body and parish council and this year they are supporting another box charity. I was quite proud of myself because I'd been whinging about it for ages but hadn't got round to doing anything about it. The church/school had no idea and once they replied that it didn't fit with their inclusive ethos they immediately looked for alternatives.

MSgus
Its not the corruption that is the problem. Not like usual corruption at the admin/finance level. Its the forcing of children to convert to christianity to 'validate' getting a box of 'Xmas gifts'. Its the homophobic rants of the founder, its the nasty way he will support anything to further his own agenda, publishing names and addresses of people who oppose his views, raking in a fortune from 'evangelical' christianity.

There have been instances cited where aid has been witheld until the recipients declared their belief in the christian god and jesus. Corruption doesnt even come close.

I refuse to take part in something that bullies children to abandon their own religion over something so basic to health as soap and toothpaste!

Yes. I printed out a load of info on Samaritan's Purse and Franklin Graham and had a quiet word with the deputy, who was horrified and sent a text out to cancel it (no explanation though - I think it read something like 'we have decided not to continue with the shoebox appeal, as this is a charity we now feel we are unable to support').
Also made sure I provided info on alternative (local) shoebox collections, which they chose not to persue.
I think the idea came from one of the teachers, who goes to one of those happy clappy evangelical churches and is always organising things for her pet Kenyan missionary run orphanage too. I feel rather uncomfortable with this too, but just quietly steer clear of it and don't support.
Is a non denominational school as well.

Yes I have. I emailed the DCs' HT and asked if he knew of the contraversy around this "charity". He didn't. He was shocked. He put a stop to it

Wow this is spooky. At lunchtime today I emailed the new school asking about this and it turns out they support this charity. I'm not comfortable doing it. Please if anyone has any successful strategies/emails that I could use to contact the school I'd be grateful. Our old school did boxes for a resident of a local care home, which I support far more.

Thanks and would be so grateful if anyone could help me tackle this too.

I argued for this at work successfully. Yes, it made me look a bit of an arse at first, but when people actually look into this hateful organisation they soon realise.

I didn't want to participate, so my children and I agreed to spend the equivalent money on items for the local food bank. We made a special trip to asda in half term, my 8 year old looked for price per g etc so made it into a maths lesson and as we walked choosing things, I explained about food banks and why it was important to donate etc.

When anyone asked them at school, they said they had done this instead. No issue at all.

It is an independent school though don't know if that makes a difference.

I suggested another charity in my email. The Trussell Trust runs a similar campaign - they are one of the main foodbank charities in the UK.

Yes and happy to forward you emails if you PM me your email address. I showed how their actions directly went against the schools published policies.

Also, and I know this isn't important when giving or donating, but the food bank insisted on sending a letter to my children to say thank you. It made my daughters day getting some recognition, she felt like she had done a good thing.

I failed to get a work collection for them stopped

It really depends what kind of school it is. If it isn't a church school then the email is pretty easy (not appropriate for school to get involved in evangelism, how about these similar projects instead); church schools need a different angle.