Mama Geek Posted November 21, 2016 Share Posted November 21, 2016 This is the first year that we have done this and I have a couple of questions in case we do it next year. The age ranges are so wide and I often see on lists things like socks or shoes. How do they deal with this or do you just not do anything that is size specific. We picked up a hat a gloves that would fit a four year old, but will be too big I am sure for a 2 year old. Also, do you take most stuff out of the packaging? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
QueenCat Posted November 21, 2016 Share Posted November 21, 2016 Definitely take it out of the packaging unless it would make a mess not to do so. Size wise, I would just make a guess. Bigger is better than smaller, they can grow into it. We don't do OCS anymore but when we did, that's how we handled those things. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Annie Elle Posted November 21, 2016 Share Posted November 21, 2016 We typically buy sizes on the upper end of the age range. It's better in my mind to be bigger than too small. We'll also take items out of packaging if it means we can get more items in the box. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vonfirmath Posted November 21, 2016 Share Posted November 21, 2016 This is the first year that we have done this and I have a couple of questions in case we do it next year. The age ranges are so wide and I often see on lists things like socks or shoes. How do they deal with this or do you just not do anything that is size specific. We picked up a hat a gloves that would fit a four year old, but will be too big I am sure for a 2 year old. Also, do you take most stuff out of the packaging? I pray and trust God will put the shoebox in the appropriate hands. (and figure too big to grow into is better than too small) I struggled for a long time about taking stuff out of packaging. But this year it was pointed out to me that a lot of the places these boxes go to do not have good trash pickup. So any packaging that would just become trash (IE cannot be reused usefully) I now try to take off on our end so they do not have to deal with it on the other end. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miss Peregrine Posted November 21, 2016 Share Posted November 21, 2016 And always remember the things that CANNOT go in there. I worked at a processing center last year. It was amazing how many people put in bubbles or shampoo, etc. We took them out. The process is very well organized. What happens to all the stuff that cannot be sent? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mom2samlibby Posted November 21, 2016 Share Posted November 21, 2016 What happens to all the stuff that cannot be sent? I believe it gets thrown in the garbage. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xahm Posted November 21, 2016 Share Posted November 21, 2016 What happens to all the stuff that cannot be sent?Where i volunteered as a teen, it went to a homeless shelter our other charity, depending on what it was. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tap Posted November 21, 2016 Share Posted November 21, 2016 And always remember the things that CANNOT go in there. I worked at a processing center last year. It was amazing how many people put in bubbles or shampoo, etc. We took them out. The process is very well organized. I have always wondered about this process of checking items. Do you just take a cursory glance or do you dig through the whole box? I wonder because we pack the boxes pretty tight, with one item always being a plastic pencil box that is full of little things. Do the processors have to open those up and look inside? We could easily make our traditional 4 boxes of contents spread out to 5 boxes, if we didn't pack so tight. I don't want to create problems for the processors, but like being able to fill the boxes up full too. I also wonder if the sorters ever 'even things out a bit' if they notice a really full box, and then another box with less items.(Understandable if they do). Since we take things out of the packaging, I wonder if things will get broken up. For example...We sometimes put in a small stuffed animal with a doll. I wonder if someone notices that there are two bigger things, and then a box that maybe doesn't have a bigger thing, would they move one item to another box. So, if they move the Barbie to another box, is it possible that the accessories in the pencil box may not go with her? We used to rubber band the extra clothes to the doll, just in case, but I don't know if it is necessary or not. DD18 and I have done this for so many years together, that it is just instinctual to pick things up throughout the year. We pretty much cram the boxes full with things, and still have a few items left over to start the boxes for next year. LOL 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vonfirmath Posted November 21, 2016 Share Posted November 21, 2016 I also wonder if the sorters ever 'even things out a bit' if they notice a really full box, and then another box with less items.(Understandable if they do). Since we take things out of the packaging, I wonder if things will get broken up. For example...We sometimes put in a small stuffed animal with a doll. I wonder if someone notices that there are two bigger things, and then a box that maybe doesn't have a bigger thing, would they move one item to another box. So, if they move the Barbie to another box, is it possible that the accessories in the pencil box may not go with her? We used to rubber band the extra clothes to the doll, just in case, but I don't know if it is necessary or not. As I understand it, they do NOT remove anything from boxes except for: 1) forbidden stuff (the aforementioned bubbles and shampoo. In the US, this will include candy and toothpaste starting next year -- 2017 boxes) 2) Checks and money placed at the top of the box for shipping They sometimes have extra stuff in the processing center to add to a low box. Since learning this, when I have extras after making my boxes I send them in a bag to my relay center to be passed on to the processing center for use this way. Sometimes companies donate boxes of leftovers to them as well. (So they might have a whole bunch of jump ropes, or crayons, or soap. Whatever happened to be donated) 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bodiesmom Posted November 21, 2016 Share Posted November 21, 2016 Where i volunteered as a teen, it went to a homeless shelter our other charity, depending on what it was. I chatted with a couple who volunteers at a processing location every year and they said they do indeed carefully inspect those packages and all items that aren't able to be shipped over are put to the side for local charities. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mama Geek Posted November 21, 2016 Author Share Posted November 21, 2016 Thanks for all the info. We did read through the list of things not to include and didn't get any of those types of things. Do they end up wrapping boxes that aren't wrapped? We didn't have time to pick up a box at their location and used a shoebox we had lying around but it was one with the lid attached. I tried to wrap it but it didn't turn out as nice as I had hoped, if I had taken it without wrapping it would they wrap it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MercyA Posted November 21, 2016 Share Posted November 21, 2016 What happens to all the stuff that cannot be sent? I was curious about this, too, mainly because I observed someone gathering used items (not nice stuff, either) for their box. I googled and read about the inspection process. Items that can't be sent because they are inappropriate, damaged, or used are donated to local charities. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MercyA Posted November 21, 2016 Share Posted November 21, 2016 I have always wondered about this process of checking items. Do you just take a cursory glance or do you dig through the whole box? I wonder because we pack the boxes pretty tight, with one item always being a plastic pencil box that is full of little things. Do the processors have to open those up and look inside? We could easily make our traditional 4 boxes of contents spread out to 5 boxes, if we didn't pack so tight. I don't want to create problems for the processors, but like being able to fill the boxes up full too. I also wonder if the sorters ever 'even things out a bit' if they notice a really full box, and then another box with less items.(Understandable if they do). Since we take things out of the packaging, I wonder if things will get broken up. For example...We sometimes put in a small stuffed animal with a doll. I wonder if someone notices that there are two bigger things, and then a box that maybe doesn't have a bigger thing, would they move one item to another box. So, if they move the Barbie to another box, is it possible that the accessories in the pencil box may not go with her? We used to rubber band the extra clothes to the doll, just in case, but I don't know if it is necessary or not. DD18 and I have done this for so many years together, that it is just instinctual to pick things up throughout the year. We pretty much cram the boxes full with things, and still have a few items left over to start the boxes for next year. LOL From what I read, they like boxes to be gently overstuffed. :) If one is not full enough, they will add donated filler items. They do NOT move items from one box to another, to maintain the integrity of the intended gift. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rachel Posted November 21, 2016 Share Posted November 21, 2016 We volunteered at a drop of site last year. There are usually a few in an area. There they only load the boxes into cartons and count boxes at the drop off sites. From there they go to a processing center, there are maybe 10 around the country. From people I talked to who have worked there, nothing except unapproved items are removed. They do replace them with something of similar value or fill out under full boxes if they have items available. Don't fill a box bigger than regular shoe box size. You can fit more stuff but it takes up more space in the shipping containers. That means only one box goes to a location instead of two. Locations don't request 100 boxes but so many shipping cartons. So if there are 15 boxes vs 20 boxes in a carton more kids get one. The majority of boxes go to warm countries. Ours have gone in past years to DRC, Uganda, and the Philippines. Last year they went to Ukraine! I would have included winter stuff if I had known. A lady from my church has lived for the past several years in the Philippines , she says the kids love the boxes but they usually get them several months after Christmas so don't worry about a Christmas theme. Many of the countries where they are sent don't celebrate Christmas. School supplies are a big hit because even our cheap stuff is better quality than what is usually available. As far as sizes, most of the kids are smaller on average than kids the same age in the US. I still go for bigger vs smaller sizes but the kids are unlikely to grow into a US XL. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rachel Posted November 21, 2016 Share Posted November 21, 2016 Oh and my personal observation is that a lot of the plastic shoeboxes crack. I know a lot of people like them because they are reusable but I saw so many cracked ones last year that this year I used cardboard. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
happypamama Posted November 21, 2016 Share Posted November 21, 2016 Fwiw, I think they also love when you use their boxes because those are a uniform size, meaning no wasted space in the shipping containers. So if you don't have a box, it's not a problem. I've also purchase the one dollar plastic shoeboxes because they can be reused as carrying vessels. We didn't get to do OCS this year because between pregnancy and DH being seriously injured (and unable to lift anything or drive), I've had enough on my plate to handle. I think I will go donate some money though, and that will help cover shipping for people who otherwise can't afford to do more than fill their box. My kids love doing the boxes though. We always end up with leftover stuff that we take to the drop off sites because we try to cram an entire year of love in one little box! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liz CA Posted November 21, 2016 Share Posted November 21, 2016 I believe it gets thrown in the garbage. No...the woman who was regional coordinator in my area over the past few years did not throw anything away. She donated it to a local woman's shelter of the mission. This may vary from region to region depending on the coordinator. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sarasue7272 Posted November 21, 2016 Share Posted November 21, 2016 I worked at a processing center last year. A group of women from my church went and we had a good time. The plastic boxes are good in that they are reuseable. However, the dollar store ones break easily, as in they were already cracked when we went through them. They are packing them into big cardboard boxes, so keep that in mind when picking out a box, and adding bows or anything to the outside. All boxes get taped all the way around. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rachel Posted November 21, 2016 Share Posted November 21, 2016 We go through it pretty completely. We do not remove anything unless it is banned ( toy guns, liquid items, chocolate, etc.) We do not redistribute. However, they have piles of extra stuff that we use to cram the boxes as full as possible if they are not as full as others. It was really interesting and rewarding. It is well organized and supervised. I love that you don't redistribute. My kids really like to create color themes in their boxes and then pray that a kid who likes blue gets the blue notebook, flashlight, flip flops, etc. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hobbes Posted November 21, 2016 Share Posted November 21, 2016 It's so encouraging hearing from people who know how the boxes are handled. We've been filling boxes for years (one per child in our family) and it's a highlight for our kids. This year was incredibly busy and when we went to pack the boxes, they weren't as full as I like to make them and we had no time to pick up more items to fill the empty space. I'm relieved that there are usually items to add to the boxes at the centers! I will be buying more next year to make sure we have enough. And I am also glad to be able to tell my kids that the box contents don't get changed... they love to carefully choose each item. Does anyone know if the personal notes stay with the boxes/get translated or are they really unnecessary? I haven't been sure when the kids have asked. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mamakelly Posted November 21, 2016 Share Posted November 21, 2016 I'm going to the local processing center on Wednesday to work. I'm super excited. I've always wanted to go work a shift there. I'll post pics when I come back :-D 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cinder Posted November 21, 2016 Share Posted November 21, 2016 Thanks to all for sharing about what happens with the boxes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MercyA Posted November 21, 2016 Share Posted November 21, 2016 Does anyone know if the personal notes stay with the boxes/get translated or are they really unnecessary? I haven't been sure when the kids have asked. Yes, the personal notes stay with the boxes. The website says: "You may enclose a note to the child and a photo of yourself, your family, or group. If you include your name and an address, the child may be able to write back." In some of the Shoebox Stories shared by people who received boxes as children, the recipients said that personal notes or pictures were meaningful to them. I wouldn't think the notes would be able to be translated before they reach their destination, but perhaps someone local is able to translate them once they get there. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted November 21, 2016 Share Posted November 21, 2016 As I understand it, they do NOT remove anything from boxes except for: 1) forbidden stuff (the aforementioned bubbles and shampoo. In the US, this will include candy and toothpaste starting next year -- 2017 boxes) 2) Checks and money placed at the top of the box for shipping They sometimes have extra stuff in the processing center to add to a low box. Since learning this, when I have extras after making my boxes I send them in a bag to my relay center to be passed on to the processing center for use this way. Sometimes companies donate boxes of leftovers to them as well. (So they might have a whole bunch of jump ropes, or crayons, or soap. Whatever happened to be donated) I'm sure this sounds silly, but I was crestfallen when I saw my friend's FB pictures at a distribution center. They had piles and piles of identical things that obviously had not come from an individual person. It made it feel meaningless, in a way, that my kids and I had carefully chosen all these things for boxes. Sorry for the tangent. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MercyA Posted November 21, 2016 Share Posted November 21, 2016 (edited) I'm sure this sounds silly, but I was crestfallen when I saw my friend's FB pictures at a distribution center. They had piles and piles of identical things that obviously had not come from an individual person. It made it feel meaningless, in a way, that my kids and I had carefully chosen all these things for boxes. Sorry for the tangent. No need to be crestfallen, Quill! It's my understanding that those types of donations are just to add to boxes that need a bit more. The kids still receive their individually made boxes. It's just a way to make sure that some kids don't receive much less than others. Edited November 21, 2016 by MercyA 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mama Geek Posted November 21, 2016 Author Share Posted November 21, 2016 It is really interesting to hear how things are handled and I am glad that they don't pull stuff out of boxes for redistribution. I don't mind mind businesses donating stuff to fill or make more boxes, the more kids helped out the better. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liz CA Posted November 22, 2016 Share Posted November 22, 2016 Also keep in mind that some boxes will not reach their destination until long after Christmas. Christmas time is a good time to get people motivated but the actual shipping can take much longer for some areas. You can select (on their website) to be notified when your box arrives and it also tells you where it went. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liz CA Posted November 22, 2016 Share Posted November 22, 2016 I'm sure this sounds silly, but I was crestfallen when I saw my friend's FB pictures at a distribution center. They had piles and piles of identical things that obviously had not come from an individual person. It made it feel meaningless, in a way, that my kids and I had carefully chosen all these things for boxes. Sorry for the tangent. There are likely items that are fillers for those boxes that are not completely full. These items may be the same but a packed box is a very individual thing. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tap Posted November 22, 2016 Share Posted November 22, 2016 Also keep in mind that some boxes will not reach their destination until long after Christmas. Christmas time is a good time to get people motivated but the actual shipping can take much longer for some areas. You can select (on their website) to be notified when your box arrives and it also tells you where it went. We did this two years in a row and never heard about any of the boxes. 6 one year, 4 the next. I get emails from OCC and it is saved as a contact, so I know they didn't go to spam. We didn't bother this year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mamakelly Posted November 22, 2016 Share Posted November 22, 2016 We paid the $7 online and printed out the barcode and attached it to our box. About 2 months later we were notified that it went to the Philippines. The kids were thrilled. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BrittanyM Posted November 22, 2016 Share Posted November 22, 2016 This will be the 3rd year we've done the barcodes. Two years ago they went to Mongolia and last year the Philippines! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liz CA Posted November 22, 2016 Share Posted November 22, 2016 We did this two years in a row and never heard about any of the boxes. 6 one year, 4 the next. I get emails from OCC and it is saved as a contact, so I know they didn't go to spam. We didn't bother this year. I am sorry there was a glitch with yours. It did take a few months like the other posters mentioned but we've gotten an email with destination before. Seems weird that 6 of them and then 4 did not get reported back. Have you called them to find out what the reason could be? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tap Posted November 22, 2016 Share Posted November 22, 2016 I am sorry there was a glitch with yours. It did take a few months like the other posters mentioned but we've gotten an email with destination before. Seems weird that 6 of them and then 4 did not get reported back. Have you called them to find out what the reason could be? Sorry, just to clarify. We didn't hear back on any of them. 6 boxes in 2015. 4 boxes in 2014 Total of 10. I remember reading that not all areas have tracking, so I guess ours went to one of those areas. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liz CA Posted November 22, 2016 Share Posted November 22, 2016 Sorry, just to clarify. We didn't hear back on any of them. 6 boxes in 2015. 4 boxes in 2014 Total of 10. I remember reading that not all areas have tracking, so I guess ours went to one of those areas. Could be. Did other people in your area get notifications? Perhaps you have no way to find out but often shipments from one geographical area go to the same destination area - in this case maybe the destination area was not able to utilize tracking. MY OCS friend explained that one year all West coast boxes went to South Africa but another year they could be going to a different corner. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arstephia Posted November 22, 2016 Share Posted November 22, 2016 I'm sure this sounds silly, but I was crestfallen when I saw my friend's FB pictures at a distribution center. They had piles and piles of identical things that obviously had not come from an individual person. It made it feel meaningless, in a way, that my kids and I had carefully chosen all these things for boxes. Sorry for the tangent Don't be discouraged. Those are just to put into boxes that are not well filled. When my family went and worked at a distribution center, we had two huge boxes of shoe boxes that had been filled by a church women's group, but they were all the same and very lacking. One crocheted washcloth, one bar of soap, three pieces of notebook paper, 1 pencil (unsharpened even), and a bag with 5 butterscotch candies. No toys, nothing fun. We literally had 40 boxes just like this. :-( We had to use everything in our "filler bins" and the bins of other tables to stock those boxes. I know this women's group thought they were doing something good, but compared to the very fun and filled boxes other kids would be getting during the distribution it made me sad. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arstephia Posted November 22, 2016 Share Posted November 22, 2016 I wanted to add a couple of things to this thread about things to put in the boxes. While we were at the distribution center sorting through the boxes, some of the missionaries who travel to the the areas and distribute the boxes worked on our line and told us some interesting stories. One of the favorite things that is useful and treasured in the boxes are bags! Those string bags or even the reusuable grocery bags. They are very valuable and benefit the families who have to travel a distance to gather things. The other thing a missionary told us was for the boys 10-14 age, a hammer and nails is a top blessing. A hammer gives a boy an occupation. She told us that a boy of age 12 got a hammer in his box, and he was the only person in his village with such a thing. A man in the next village had one and was very "rich" because he could build things and be hired to work. The boy was able to be employed by people in his village to basically pound nails or pegs with his hammer and it changed his family's economic situation. Amazing! So now we always pack a boy 10-14 box with tools along with some fun stuff. 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vonfirmath Posted November 22, 2016 Share Posted November 22, 2016 Don't be discouraged. Those are just to put into boxes that are not well filled. When my family went and worked at a distribution center, we had two huge boxes of shoe boxes that had been filled by a church women's group, but they were all the same and very lacking. One crocheted washcloth, one bar of soap, three pieces of notebook paper, 1 pencil (unsharpened even), and a bag with 5 butterscotch candies. No toys, nothing fun. We literally had 40 boxes just like this. :-( We had to use everything in our "filler bins" and the bins of other tables to stock those boxes. I know this women's group thought they were doing something good, but compared to the very fun and filled boxes other kids would be getting during the distribution it made me sad. I sent all my extra filler this year to the relay center to go on to processing centers. I am praying it actually gets sent on that way and not used to pack new boxes at the relay center (since I discovered afterward they were continuing to pack boxes even while accepting boxes). Since this is just the situation I pictured those Lego bags, reusable bags, box of pencils (unsharpened, sorry) and other odds and ends being used for. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lori D. Posted November 22, 2016 Share Posted November 22, 2016 (edited) I wanted to add a couple of things to this thread about things to put in the boxes. While we were at the distribution center sorting through the boxes, some of the missionaries who travel to the the areas and distribute the boxes worked on our line and told us some interesting stories. One of the favorite things that is useful and treasured in the boxes are bags! Those string bags or even the reusuable grocery bags. They are very valuable and benefit the families who have to travel a distance to gather things. The other thing a missionary told us was for the boys 10-14 age, a hammer and nails is a top blessing. A hammer gives a boy an occupation. She told us that a boy of age 12 got a hammer in his box, and he was the only person in his village with such a thing. A man in the next village had one and was very "rich" because he could build things and be hired to work. The boy was able to be employed by people in his village to basically pound nails or pegs with his hammer and it changed his family's economic situation. Amazing! So now we always pack a boy 10-14 box with tools along with some fun stuff. THANK you for sharing this! For years when our DSs were of school age, we always did shoeboxes, and since I have boys, we did boxes for boys, of approximately the same age as DSs (until DSs were teens, and then we did boxes for the older boys). Along with school supplies, personal items like washcloths, sox and mittens, and fun things, we always included tools from the Dollar Store because they are smaller and lightweight and we could fit more into a box -- hammers, screwdrivers, tape measures, etc. And we did exactly for the reason you mentioned -- that the boys would be able to use them for working. SO exciting to hear that the tools we included for years were a vocational gift and blessing! Edited November 22, 2016 by Lori D. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mama Geek Posted November 22, 2016 Author Share Posted November 22, 2016 (edited) I just talked to dd and think next year we will do for an older kid and include tools, that is a great idea. ETA: Does anyone know if a comparable size toolbox would be acceptable instead of a shoebox? Edited November 22, 2016 by Mama Geek Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted November 22, 2016 Share Posted November 22, 2016 I wanted to add a couple of things to this thread about things to put in the boxes. While we were at the distribution center sorting through the boxes, some of the missionaries who travel to the the areas and distribute the boxes worked on our line and told us some interesting stories. One of the favorite things that is useful and treasured in the boxes are bags! Those string bags or even the reusuable grocery bags. They are very valuable and benefit the families who have to travel a distance to gather things. The other thing a missionary told us was for the boys 10-14 age, a hammer and nails is a top blessing. A hammer gives a boy an occupation. She told us that a boy of age 12 got a hammer in his box, and he was the only person in his village with such a thing. A man in the next village had one and was very "rich" because he could build things and be hired to work. The boy was able to be employed by people in his village to basically pound nails or pegs with his hammer and it changed his family's economic situation. Amazing! So now we always pack a boy 10-14 box with tools along with some fun stuff. I wouldn't think you could pack nails in there. Maybe I'm thinking of TSA. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rachel Posted November 23, 2016 Share Posted November 23, 2016 We almost always pack for older kids now just because fewer people send stuff for older kids. In the last few years we have sent tools, sewing supplies, 2-3 yards of fabric, fishing tackle, and a deflated soccer ball with a ball pump. Before sending things like tools and fishing supplies, check Operation Christmas Child's website, the rules do change from year to year and are different in the US and Canada. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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