Tap Posted June 13, 2012 Share Posted June 13, 2012 DD13 needs a service project for school next year. People here gave us some great ideas and dd is thinking about collecting items for Operation Christmas Child. Do you know anything about this program? Ds17 already donates a lot of time each year to the organization, packing shoe boxes and then loading the trucks. DD13 is excited to help but I want to make sure that if she is asking people to donate items, that they are worth while organization. It is one thing to donate your own time to an organization, but quite another if you are asking for donations from others. The alternative plan...or possibly one that she will also do....is making back packs for foster kids with supplies. She likes the shoe box idea best, so maybe we will find a way to mix the two. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
momto3innc Posted June 13, 2012 Share Posted June 13, 2012 They are great. My mom worked with them with last year and had nothing but good to say about them...and she really got to see a lot of stuff up close to be able to tell. we've done quite a bit with them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dory Posted June 13, 2012 Share Posted June 13, 2012 Our church has worked for years collecting for them and I have a couple friends that were able to be more involved. They have nothing but good things to say about them and the impact that those little boxes have on the kids. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ktgrok Posted June 13, 2012 Share Posted June 13, 2012 Very good organization. My mom has spent countless hours of her time working with them, and loves them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThisIsTheDay Posted June 13, 2012 Share Posted June 13, 2012 Yes, they are a good organization. See this report by Charity Navigator. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SunnyDays Posted June 13, 2012 Share Posted June 13, 2012 Wonderful organization!! We've done a few projects/shoeboxes for them and I've heard nothing but good things. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Starr Posted June 13, 2012 Share Posted June 13, 2012 Our church makes shoeboxes every year. I also met a woman that went on a wonderful delivery mission to South America. She has good things to say about all of it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
*Inna* Posted June 13, 2012 Share Posted June 13, 2012 Yes! :001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mommyof4ks Posted June 13, 2012 Share Posted June 13, 2012 :iagree: Great organization. My MIL went to their warehouse to inspect boxes and get them ready to ship out, and she was pleased. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
besroma Posted June 13, 2012 Share Posted June 13, 2012 Excellent organization. I grew up in the town where they are headquartered. I know many people who work there. Samaritan's Purse's CEO is Franklin Graham, son of Billy Graham. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Twain Posted June 13, 2012 Share Posted June 13, 2012 This is one of the very best organizations. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ereks mom Posted June 13, 2012 Share Posted June 13, 2012 Our church has worked for years collecting for them and I have a couple friends that were able to be more involved. They have nothing but good things to say about them and the impact that those little boxes have on the kids. :iagree: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tomandlorih Posted June 13, 2012 Share Posted June 13, 2012 This is one of the very best organizations. :iagree: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EJCMom Posted June 13, 2012 Share Posted June 13, 2012 It's a great organization. My SIL got to help deliver boxes one year to a little village in Mexico. She said it was one of the most moving experiences of her life. I would allow my child to solicit donations for that organization without hesitation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ibbygirl Posted June 13, 2012 Share Posted June 13, 2012 They're fantastic. We do a shoe box for them every year. I have nothing but good things to say about them. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kelly1730 Posted June 13, 2012 Share Posted June 13, 2012 They're fantastic. We do a shoe box for them every year. I have nothing but good things to say about them. :) :iagree: Same here. We've done shoeboxes on our own for years and this year our church got involved. I know an older lady and her husband who drive from PA to NC every year to help out in the warehouses. I don't think you have anything to worry about. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MariannNOVA Posted June 13, 2012 Share Posted June 13, 2012 The best. I cannot watch the DVD without crying. Our family has been participating for many years. This past year, we participated in memory of Jack Donaldson...link here: http://www.aninchofgray.blogspot.com/2011/11/operation-christmas-child.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tap Posted June 13, 2012 Author Share Posted June 13, 2012 :party: Great! She is so excited already. Now she will just have to decide how she wants to collect the shoe boxes, supplies and $. I think it will be a great experience for her. I am going to ask the head of school today and her teacher if we can send out a school wide email to ask families to collect shoe boxes for her with back to school shoe purchases. Maybe we can also collect some school supply donations if we ask before people do school supply shopping. I am hoping that she can get some support from the families at school, but if not, from the community. If anyone has ideas....please feel free to share! I think she is going to set a goal of 20 complete shoe boxes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MariannNOVA Posted June 13, 2012 Share Posted June 13, 2012 :party: Great! She is so excited already. Now she will just have to decide how she wants to collect the shoe boxes, supplies and $. I think it will be a great experience for her. I am going to ask the head of school today and her teacher if we can send out a school wide email to ask families to collect shoe boxes for her with back to school shoe purchases. Maybe we can also collect some school supply donations if we ask before people do school supply shopping. I am hoping that she can get some support from the families at school, but if not, from the community. If anyone has ideas....please feel free to share! I think she is going to set a goal of 20 complete shoe boxes. Sounds like you are off to an excellent start -- do things sooner rather than later. You can pick up excellent items in the Target $1. bins, the Michael's $1. bins and at the dollar store. Keep an eye out for things on sale: toothbrushes, combs, hair elastics, crayons, stuff like that. She has set an excellent goal for herself -- :grouphug: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
REv1053 Posted June 13, 2012 Share Posted June 13, 2012 My father (living in poverty at an orphanage) actually is the recipient of these boxes in Thailand. He has said the children LOVE the boxes and they are well received. The boxes are a huge hit and the kids get so excited. Our family doesnt put together the boxes because we dont believe in the missionary stance with the organization, but they are well received in Thailand where they are needed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swellmomma Posted June 13, 2012 Share Posted June 13, 2012 We do shoeboxes every year. My kids love picking out items on sale all year round so we can fill boxes at xmas. I think it is a fabulous program. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swellmomma Posted June 13, 2012 Share Posted June 13, 2012 Another great program to collect for is clean the world which collects donations of soap to donate to third world countries for sanitation. DD's girl guide group collected almost 200 lbs of soap this year for them. I am doing it next year with my beaver scouts and my kids are doing it at home this year towards one of their service projects. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jewellsmommy Posted June 13, 2012 Share Posted June 13, 2012 We love packing shoeboxes every year. One of my friends has volunteered at the distribution plant where they check the shoeboxes and pack them to ship. She loves it. Anything that has to be removed from the boxes still gets donated to someone who needs it. It makes me glad to know that nothing is ever wasted. :001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jaz Posted June 13, 2012 Share Posted June 13, 2012 My dd just received a thank you letter from a girl in the Philippines who received my dd's box. :001_smile: It made my dd's day! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liz CA Posted June 13, 2012 Share Posted June 13, 2012 Oh...not to steer her away from Operation Christmas Child which I like very much, I do like the idea about backpacks or bags for foster children. Some evidently arrive with nary the clothes on their backs at their new homes. Blankets and a stuffed toy that is his or hers alone would be neat. Those poor kids need all the comfort they can get. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dobela Posted June 13, 2012 Share Posted June 13, 2012 Oh...not to steer her away from Operation Christmas Child which I like very much, I do like the idea about backpacks or bags for foster children. Some evidently arrive with nary the clothes on their backs at their new homes. Blankets and a stuffed toy that is his or hers alone would be neat. Those poor kids need all the comfort they can get. :iagree:As a former foster parent, I can vouch for the great need for foster children. In our state if any drugs are found in the home, the child cannot leave with anything more than the clothes they are wearing. She could start now and begin collecting new, like new clothes and toys to donate to local foster care agencies. But don't forget the older children and teens as well. They are often left out and receive very little attention from people as it is more fun to buy for the babies and young children. I know one young girl here that will mend clothing and items that are donated to her as part of her project. What she isn't able to donate to the children (because of stains and such) she still donates to Goodwill. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mississippi Mama Posted June 13, 2012 Share Posted June 13, 2012 Yes I trust them:) I think your idea is wonderful! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lionfamily1999 Posted June 13, 2012 Share Posted June 13, 2012 We do this every year and our church sends in a busload of to help pack trucks a state away (our church is a collection point). Also, the new tags have bar codes so you can track 'your' box and find out where it ends up. So your dd could let everyone who helps know just where their gifts landed :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ali in OR Posted June 13, 2012 Share Posted June 13, 2012 Just a note on shoe boxes: This last year our church had some fold up boxes from Operation Christmas Child that we could sign out and use (we had to sign them out I guess just to make sure that they all came back filled with donations). They were free to us, a nice uniform size, and are already decorated red and green--no need to try to figure out how to wrap a shoe box while keeping it openable! If it were my daughter, I would try contacting Operation Christmas Child/Samaritan's Purse (they have a website) and see if you could get a supply of their boxes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TravelingChris Posted June 13, 2012 Share Posted June 13, 2012 wonderful group Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ma23peas Posted June 13, 2012 Share Posted June 13, 2012 Another voucher for OCC but also love making the no sew flannel blankets for boys and girls for local hospice house...had no idea that our local hospice has a special building for children who have lost a parent or sibling...our troop made 25 blankets and hospice said they were gone in 2 months...another not so noticed need. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swellmomma Posted June 13, 2012 Share Posted June 13, 2012 I was just checking out their website and see they also have a project called Turn on the Tap. It looks like another awesome one to raise funds for and have added it to my planned service projects for the scouts next year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tap Posted June 13, 2012 Author Share Posted June 13, 2012 My father (living in poverty at an orphanage) actually is the recipient of these boxes in Thailand. He has said the children LOVE the boxes and they are well received. The boxes are a huge hit and the kids get so excited. Our family doesn't put together the boxes because we dont believe in the missionary stance with the organization, but they are well received in Thailand where they are needed. I have an odd questions that has always stuck in my mind, maybe you know the answer. I have always wondered if they are delivered as "Christmas presents" to the people who receive them. Do you know if they are? Do you know if they arrive in our traditional Christmas season? It doesn't affect our willingness to participate, I was just always curious about that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ibbygirl Posted June 13, 2012 Share Posted June 13, 2012 I was just checking out their website and see they also have a project called Turn on the Tap. It looks like another awesome one to raise funds for and have added it to my planned service projects for the scouts next year. Cool! Franklin Graham came and spoke at our church a couple of years ago and he was talking about how great the need is for clean water. He also had some wonderful stories that came out of the shoe boxes as well. One in particular reduced me to an absolute sobbing mess. He told us that when we pack our shoe boxes to include a photo of our family so that the child can see who gave the gift and pray for us. He then told this story about a boy who was in an orphanage Europe (sorry I can't remember the country exactly, but I think it may have been Romania) and one of the women who worked in the orphanage came and brought him the shoe box, but he wouldn't open it. He said that there was nothing in the box that he wanted because all he wanted was parents so he refused to open the box. I think the boy was 11 years old or thereabouts. Well, finally the woman coerced him to open the gift and when he did he just skipped all the goodies in there and went straight for a photo that the couple who had packed the box had put of themselves in there. He just held up the photo and kept staring at it. Well, the couple had put their address on the back of the photo and so with the help of one of the sisters in the orphanage who spoke English, he wrote them a letter. To make a long story short, the couple were unable to conceive a baby and had always wanted a child of their own and they wound up adopting this boy who only wanted parents. I am crying now just typing this because it is just so amazing to me what God can do and how He can connect people from anywhere in the world and give them what they are most longing for. It was such a beautiful thing. So yeah, you all who pack shoe boxes, remember to put your photo in there and your address on the back if you want communication. Who knows what could happen. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fischerl Posted June 13, 2012 Share Posted June 13, 2012 We have packed shoe boxes for this organization for years, and last year our family and several others went to the warehouse to help label and tape them. It seems to be a very well-run program and from everything I hear, much appreciated by the recipients. You get to choose whether to pack a box for a boy or a girl, and choose the age range. So it's fun to go shopping for "your" child. Include a photo—lots of fun and more personal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lionfamily1999 Posted June 13, 2012 Share Posted June 13, 2012 I have an odd questions that has always stuck in my mind, maybe you know the answer. I have always wondered if they are delivered as "Christmas presents" to the people who receive them. Do you know if they are? Do you know if they arrive in our traditional Christmas season? It doesn't affect our willingness to participate, I was just always curious about that. They are Christmas presents, delivered during the season. They are possibly handed out on Christmas, but I am not positive about that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jaz Posted June 14, 2012 Share Posted June 14, 2012 I have an odd questions that has always stuck in my mind, maybe you know the answer. I have always wondered if they are delivered as "Christmas presents" to the people who receive them. Do you know if they are? Do you know if they arrive in our traditional Christmas season? It doesn't affect our willingness to participate, I was just always curious about that. Our package was received March 12 because the little girl who wrote told us so. ;) They deliver year-round as needed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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