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!

.. To be clear, the email from school said Samaritan's in the title - but the email made clear it was Samaritan's Purse.

Yes, but it was a while ago - our new head and deputy head withdrew it immediately that they were made aware of the issues. Our school now organise collections for the local food bank, and for families in crisis through the local authority.

Seriously - I think that's great. Very non-confrontational in tone and obviously supportive of the school in general and giving aims in particular.

You're also not asking them to change or cancel anything now however much you might like them to but rather to consider it for next year.

I can't stand this charity. Last year I wouldn't allow ds to participate and teacher asked him several times where his box was. He wasn't happy. I'm going to have to say something this year. Trouble is I'm struggling to find a suitable alternative to offer that also requires a bit of prep and involvement but doesn't break the bank.

gonzales - you could suggest any of the alternatives regularly mentioned on OCC threads, which are similar shoebox schemes but do not have an evangelical agenda, e.g.:
Rotary Club shoebox scheme
Link to Hope
Mary's Meals backpack project
or contact your local food bank or council children's services department to see if they are organising any special Christmas-related collections.

This thread has been fantastic, thanks all!! I've had a bit of a breakthrough my our head and have been asked to come back with christmas shoebox alternatives. Have gathered all that have been mentioned here and will research a few others too. good luck to all approaching this with their school too!

I got them stopped at my dc's school AND the school where I was teaching a couple of years ago.

Also saw off a notoriously dodgy tutoring business (sign up & we'll send you educational dvds for two years at astronomical prices, & fuck up your credit rating if you try to cancel).

Honestly. You'd think SLG would do some research before spamming out letters...

Thanks expat, I've sent marysmeal an email to see if they'll collect backpacks in this area.

Just had a chat with other mums at the gate and they all think I'm being unreasonable. They love it as their kids can get involved and they've watched the videos showing how delighted the kids are when they open their boxes. Maybe they're right and overall it's not too bad but I still feel really uncomfortable about it.

I spoke to the school office and they were unaware of the negative points. They said it's probably to late to change "as the leaflets have already gone out"!!! But I think if I find a suitable alternative they might offer it as well and let parents have the option.

Yes, I won this battle. We do something for the local food bank instead. I also got sparkle box resources removed too, I asked for my children not to use the resources, the school didn't know the background.

DD's primary sent out information about it in her first year. I sent in a letter highlighting my concerns and weblink. I spoke to the teacher also. It ran that year, as already in progress when I went in. Never done since - they do a local version instead, not including all the religious materials.

Sent an email yesterday to dcs school asking if they knew about this organisations background and included link from Humanistlife.
Head emailed back this morning thanking me for letting her know and that they were withdrawing support.

I got the school to stop. It's CofE but undersubscribed and no other option, they still have polices and ethos's that are broken buy supporting SP. I read though the schools policies and matched up problems. I found some of the best links were produced by SP, so look at Franklin Grahams FB posts, lots of homophobic, anti trans, etc . The American SP website has clear statements about how the boxes are used for evangelism. Wikipedia explains the American Governments concerns about Franklins finances and the SP. I have never found a mainstream source that clearly states the environmental and cultural problems that even without the evangelism makes them a bad idea. There is an article in the Guardian by Rev. Giles Fraser called The evangelical gift wrapping of Islamophobia marches on.
If an establishment is breaking it's own policies and ethos take it higher, like the Governors in a school.

Can't believe it. Have just been in Tesco and they are promoting this!
Have contacted head office who say charities are decided by [email protected]

Will be contacting them as soon as dc collected from school. Am mad that a company this size cannot do their research before sanctioning great big bill boards at the entrance to their store.

eggsbutnobacon - is that just your local store, or is it a nationwide thing? If it's more than just one store manager picking a pet charity, it would be incredible if whichever part of Tesco is responsible for picking charities hadn't done the basic research to realise how offensive this could be to all their Muslim/Hindu/moderate Christian/non-religious/gay employees and customers.

Exexpat. I don't know if it is just my local Tesco store, which incidentally is a massive Tesco Extra, or if it's countrywide. Please don't say it's so. I am in there every day but only just noticed the bill board with one example shoe box in front of it on the floor as I was heading towards the exit. I stopped in my tracks, couldn't believe it.

Have rang the tel number given on the [email protected] website as I wanted to know who the head honcho was in order to write but after going through lots of options it lead me to an answerphone. I am not going to give up though. Maybe a few calls from well informed mn's will do the trick.

I have written to our head. PM me if you want a copy of letter. No response yet though.

After a few phone calls I have established it is just our local store who is supporting this through their community space project.
They had no idea of the hidden agenda. I have consequently emailed them and asked them to look at the links in order for them to make an informed decision on whether to continue.

I tried to stop this at my DC school, but failed and thankfully the DC have now moved on.
Most of the other parents didn't really mind, and are blindly thinking its just something their DC can do and feel good about giving to others.

Its heavily supported in the schools here in NI, no surprise there then.

I have just written to our school, having sermon the school newsletter that school is participating in OCC this year. Hope it makes a difference.

I was successful in changing it two years ago - I used a link to the very handy page on the Humanist Society website which explains the problem and suggests alternatives, plus a covering e-mail which summarised the problem. They changed the following year (having already sent out the leaflets that year). It helped that it is a community school.