Welcome to our new charity feature. Each quarter, Mumbling Mommy will highlight a particular organization that serves children and families. We’re excited to start by promoting Samaritan’s Purse, a relief organization that serves victims of poverty, war, and natural disasters. More specifically, we are focusing on Operation Christmas Child, an outreach of Samaritan’s Purse.
Operation Christmas Child
My family got involved with Operation Christmas Child through our church. We pack a shoe box with small gifts, drop it off at our church, and it goes to an underprivileged child in another country. For many children, these are the only Christmas gifts they will get. Operation Christmas Child’s website has suggestions and guidelines for what to give (No chocolate that could melt and no war toys, for example.). I typically include things like dolls or stuffed animals, balls, small Magnadoodles or Etch-a-Sketches, coloring books, crayons, pencils, stickers, play dough, and hair barrettes. I also include practical gifts like socks, mittens, a shirt, plastic children’s bowls or cups, toothpaste and toothbrush, hair brush and comb, bar soap (No liquid soaps because they can leak during shipping) and a washcloth. We also sometimes send hard candy packed in a small Zip-Loc bag. I mostly shop at the dollar store, and I get shirts or small clothing items at Walmart. Throughout the year, I also divert some of the small trinkets my children get from Happy Meals or Sunday school prizes into our shoe box – because we definitely don’t need to keep it all! It’s amazing how much can fit in a single shoe box.
Each year, my oldest daughter comes shopping with me, and she is beginning to really understand what we’re doing. A few years ago, she was envious and wanted to play with the items we purchased. This year at age 5, she knows some families don’t have much money, and that there are children who barely have enough money for necessities like toothpaste let alone toys. My daughter skipped up and down the aisles at the dollar store recently, calling out, “Mommy, would the little girl like these stickers? We should get her these socks!” She played an active role in selecting items for our box, and I have to admit she did a good job of choosing both practical and fun gifts. It’s a great way to get kids thinking about other people.
Samaritan’s Purse is a Christian organization, run by Billy Graham’s son, Franklin Graham. When children receive their shoe boxes through Operation Christmas Child, they include a small booklet that tells the Gospel message. Children also have the opportunity to sign up for optional classes that teach them more about Christianity.
If you’re interested in sending a shoe box, national collection week is November 18-25. Visit Operation Christmas Child’s website to find a drop-off location near you. A donation of $7 payable online or via check is requested to help cover shipping costs. If you donate online, you’ll receive an e-mail later letting you know what country your box was delivered to. The website also offers detailed instructions on what to pack and how to prepare your box for shipping (You’ll need to print labels and secure your box shut with a rubber band, for example), so be sure to check it out. Happy packing!
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