Do any of you participate in shoebox programs for needy kids? My girls just did up their boxes for our church, who donates to local children on Indian reservations here in Montana. Last year my boys did Operation Christmas Child from Samaritan's Purse. The boys really enjoyed picking out small gifts and items to put in their shoeboxes. When we took them to the drop-off location and they saw other kids doing the same thing, I think they felt really good about what they had done. I am planning on them doing it again this year. We can't afford to do a bunch of boxes, but I will let the boys do one each. The national collection week is November 17-24 and there are places all over to drop off your shoeboxes. When I showed the boys the video from the website last year, they immediately wanted to take part in this. The picture above is Nathan & Neil taken last year with their shoeboxes. They're looking forward to doing it again this year and I think it's a great program.
Saturday, October 4, 2008
Christmas Shoeboxes
Do any of you participate in shoebox programs for needy kids? My girls just did up their boxes for our church, who donates to local children on Indian reservations here in Montana. Last year my boys did Operation Christmas Child from Samaritan's Purse. The boys really enjoyed picking out small gifts and items to put in their shoeboxes. When we took them to the drop-off location and they saw other kids doing the same thing, I think they felt really good about what they had done. I am planning on them doing it again this year. We can't afford to do a bunch of boxes, but I will let the boys do one each. The national collection week is November 17-24 and there are places all over to drop off your shoeboxes. When I showed the boys the video from the website last year, they immediately wanted to take part in this. The picture above is Nathan & Neil taken last year with their shoeboxes. They're looking forward to doing it again this year and I think it's a great program.
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Great idea, I have not heard of the shoebox program. I should see if they do that in our community. We usually donate toys to the church and Toys for Tots, but the shoebox seems more personal with the cozy shoebox for the kids to fill.
ReplyDeleteFirst of all, your boys are ADORABLE! with a capital CUTE! ;0)
ReplyDeleteWe do shoebox too! it's a great way to help people and teach kids about giving and not just receiving too!
the same organization also offers great charity donations for gifts such as giving a 3rd world country chickens, water, food and more and $$$ for bulding materials. I've started giving those as gifts the last couple of years too.
Great post! What Christmas should really be about.
Christy
I love this project and intend to do it, too! What a wonderful, concrete way to help. :-)
ReplyDelete-Anna (Topaz on blueboards)
Great idea, I will have to check into that...I use to do a "Pennies from the Heart" drive at the complex...I started it as a way for the children on the property to help out and everyone has pennies all over the house, so we collected pennies and donated the money to the Toys For Tots in our area...the kids ended up on the local news and I gave them an awards ceremony at the local Denny's...I gave them each gifts (small things) and a certificate for participation...they got a lot of attention, mainly because the kids on my complex are coming from low-income homes yet they were donating to other needy kids...I was very proud of the kids...the last year we did this, we raised $1500.00 for the Toys for Tots...
ReplyDeleteBecause of some parents on the property, who started thinking the money should be divided between the kids who participated instead of donating the money, I quit doing it...but this Christmas Shoeboxes sound interesting and we might have to give that a try this year...
Brenda -- That sounded like a great program you had going. I'm sorry to hear the parents turned it into something else.
ReplyDeleteLast year was the first time we participated in Operation Christmas Child. I know a lot of local organizations do their own shoebox programs. Like I said, my girls do one with our church that helps children on Indian reservations. The boys do the international one, so I feel good we can help in both ways to a very small degree. The boys had fun picking out small toys and things for their boxes last year, so I'll probably start taking them to do that again soon.
I'm going to be hitting the next sale soon to get most of my presents for relatives and friends. Just need to make a list now I think, on what I will be buying!
ReplyDeleteWe also do a shoebox appeal in where members of our local church each pack an empty shoe box with tinned foods to send over to the African countries so they can have a better Christmas.