Shoe boxes for Christmas

We did Link to Hope this year. I prefer it to Samaritan's Purse because as far as I know no literature is included. Also it asks for Elderly Boxes and Family Boxes rather than just children's boxes. I know someone who has been involved on the ground and he said that the elderly boxes, for couples or older people alone where particularly well received. It's always difficult to know if these things help but I will continue with the Link to Hope boxes unless I hear of any undue pressure on the recipients.

Some interesting replies and information here ladies, thank you.

The other two charities I have sent to are Blythswood in Scotland and Link to Hope.

I didn't know that Rotary did shoeboxes so that is new information for me.

Sandelf, why do I do them? Well yes for the enjoyment but much more so for the end user.

There was an appeal via The UK Hand Knitting Association for hats for the Ukraine and I did many of those in dark colours as requested. Sadly they are still needed.

I think I just by pass any information that is in them as up to the person if they read or not and that is the least of my worries, at the end of the day you are just hoping the knitting and gifts you have sent are going to help them a little in the cold weather and give some comfort. I know we can't solve all the worlds problems but you just try to do your bit.

My daughter was a volunteer working in a village when the Samaritans Purse “Christmas” gifts arrived. They were in Christmas paper, but it was a month or two after Christmas. She was quite shock and would never do the shoebox thing again after she came home. Apparently it’s not just the evangelical literature in the boxes, which as you have said, can be thrown away. The village children had to attend a very strong evangelical service and make a commitment to be a Christian and they only got their boxes if they went forward to the front when the preacher gave the appeal.
It might have only been this particular team that did this, but she had heard similar things from other western volunteers in this country.

We used to do the boxes, and given a limit to spend. So we put in as much as we could, because it was all voluntary - knitting, jewellery, hair decorations... then they stopped doing it because of COVIS-19, and it never got going again. Pity, really - but I have too much on my plate to organise it myself. Nobody has to read any religious flyers - or even recipe books, for that matter.

suelld

eddiecat78

DD did this with her school when it first became a thing. In theory she sent a box to a girl in Rumania - we got a letter back from a boy. It then became apparent he was quite a well off boy as he started sending us parcels! This carried on back and forth for a couple of years until I intercepted a postcard from him who was now living in America and wanting her email address. I had visions of him turning up on our doorstep!

I think that’s rather nice to keep up a long corres after the initial parcel was sent. If he was well healed and sending you parcels what on earth is wrong with him turning up on your doorstep?? Surely nice to meet? Do you have something against Romanians?
I met a lovely Romanian working on the house next door in my 40s .. now I’m 80 next year we have been great friends ever since!

Er - well-heeled! I hate intuitive text!

I am part of a crafting groupand some of the ladies knit hats to send to Ukraine. I used to do shoe boxes but the local person I knew that sent them stopped so I stopped too.
One year my DD collected through her school. It was a school in a wealthy area and we received some lovely things but many didn't meet the criteria for the shoeboxes, so, having made up shoeboxes with what was suitable I took the rest to the Salvation Army to give to local needy families.
I now support Crisis every year having volunteered with the local homeless charities and the Salvation Army.
I didn't know literature was added. They deliberately said not to include books as the children mostly wouldn't speak english. Did they produce the literature in other languages? I don't have a problem with including Christian literaure but would be interested to know if any was read.

Our Cathedral issues Rotary boxes to fill, I make one up for an older person, warm hat, gloves, socks, toiletries etc. You can put a Chirstmas card in with your contact details if you wish, I did once get a reply back from a family in Romania, they had been given the box in June!

Do you do this for the enjoyment of making things or mainly to give to children? If it is the 'making' perhaps look about for other charities who would happily receive knitted items (locally homes and charities take 'fiddle muffs') and if it is the 'giving' uppermost, perhaps money is best - of course having checked how it will be used.

eddiecat78

DD did this with her school when it first became a thing. In theory she sent a box to a girl in Rumania - we got a letter back from a boy. It then became apparent he was quite a well off boy as he started sending us parcels! This carried on back and forth for a couple of years until I intercepted a postcard from him who was now living in America and wanting her email address. I had visions of him turning up on our doorstep!

I think that’s rather nice to keep up a long corres after the initial parcel was sent. If he was well healed and sending you parcels what on earth is wrong with him turning up on your doorstep?? Surely nice to meet? Do you have something against Romanians?
I met a lovely Romanian working on the house next door in my 40s .. now I’m 80 next year we have been great friends ever since!

My sons school was catholic so they sent the boxes to the red cross i believe.

Maybe others can look up where their local stonehouse pub is,and see if they are doing this?(its our local carvery, so we go for tea occasionally)Or if not maybe suggest the idea, even if its not a stonehouse? I'm not sure when they're collecting them till though?🤔

Our local stonehouse pub has had a christmas tree up since beginning of october and on it are little tree gift tags that children in homeless shelters etc have had filled in for them, for the small gifts they would like- i took two, one for a girl aged 9 who would like a colouring set,& one for a boy aged 12 who only asked for toiletries- it was heartbreaking that thats all he asked for! Poor love.(to my own grandkids toiletries are a given,theyre bought with the weekly shop,not a gift.) I wrapped them & attached the tags myself but the pub staff do say if you dont want to do so,just bring the gift& tag and they will giftwrap them.I thought it a lovely idea and i may do some more if i can afford once ive bought for all my grandchildren.I havent done the shoeboxes since my youngest son left school though.(his school used to send them off)

It wouldn't bother me it will be discarded without a thought most probably so a waste of paper .

And, ask a local Rotary Club.

Thanks lixy for the charity name.

I used to send them and was put off by the literature added but now I send Rotary shoe boxes which go to Ukraine. 4 of my 5 granddaughters pack one each and put Christmas stickers on the outside of the box. They understand there are children who are not as lucky as them and I feel this is very useful for their development. My husband has been on two trips into Ukraine recently, taking aid and has seen where the aid goes and the shoe boxes will go to the same distribution hub. There is a great need for aid and the boxes and of course the hope that comes with them. No Christian push or literature goes with them. See if you can find a Rotary group near you to get a shoebox blank to make up and fill. The boxes we have completed are already being collected so time is running out for this year. As many have said the contents are really helpful to most who receive them.

My sister, sadly now deceased, who lived in Scotland and was a devout Christian, used to do these shoe boxes every year, putting much effort into it, and with her husband helping.
I thought it was wonderful, and I don't think it matters in the least if those leaflets are enclosed. Nobody is forced to read them.

When I worked in refuges we found we got way too much given at Christmas and little the rest of the year.
We had an emergency clothes cupboard and would have liked to have always have pyjamas, slippers, dressing gowns, knickers, boxer shorts, t-shirts socks etc rather than (more) stuffed toys and so on.

We were also gifted lots of fresh perishable foods at Christmas.

Obviously a few stuffed toys harms nobody and can be a comfort...
I don't know what people gift these days.

I agree with those who oppose Samaritans Purse. They are anti-Muslim, homophobic and anti-abortion, and require employees to be likewise.

Many schools pulled out of the scheme after parents complained about the clash with their own values (which were often the values promoted in schools too). Also, there has been criticism of the mismatch between the gifts and the needs of the communities who get them, and there was controversy about a hospital they were going to set up in NY because of the vitriolic comments the founder made about gay people.

www.nbcnews.com/feature/nbc-out/opposition-samaritan-s-purse-central-park-field-hospital-grows-n1184216

humanists.uk/2023/11/16/humanists-uk-cautions-parents-to-exercise-caution-with-operation-christmas-child/#:~:text=Reverend%20William%20Franklin%20Graham%20III,their%20support%20was%20directed%20elsewhere.

I agree that it's a shame, as the idea is a good one, but it would work better if the gifts were more targeted. Homeless charities and Women's refuges give boxes to their service users, but they ask for donations and buy the gifts (usually things like hats and gloves for the homeless and toiletries and toys for families in hostels).

maremia which other charities do the shoe boxes?
There’s one I know of listed on the Humanist website which is Link to Hope. It is a Christian charity but says it does not include any literature.
linktohope.co.uk/shoebox-appeal-2025/

Apols for typos above.....I must remember preview option ! After posting I started thinking about the Christmas carols many of us will enjoy singing....for example....Hark the herald angels sing.... full of theological themes. I don't feel I am being indoctrinated by anyone and doubt others are ...but I absolutely adore that carol and the words !

I suppose Christmas is a christian festival, so the leaflets aren't exactly out of sync with the spirit of the season. ? As far as I can see ' evsngelical' litetature is just traditional / orthodox christianity. Not as though its cultish or anything...? I wonder if our culture has become so immune to religious tradition that anything that's not material or secular feels weird.
Just my thoughts.

That actually sounds creepy.
The shoeboxes are interesting to organise. Pity.

I believe it is more than pamphlets. I researched it all a few years ago and I think there are some sort of religious activities associated with the distribution.

Samaritans Purse are a bigoted organization and I just think there are better ways of contributing than being associated with them.

I have sent money, not a box, to help children in Ukraine.