Operation Christmas Child

Well I've just done two shoeboxes and I was very unsure last year.
In the end I've done it again because I just think it must be lovely to get a box of useful and fun things when you have nothing. I do try and choose my gifts carefully.
I'm not happy about the evangelical aspect but I just think about the children's delight. I hope I'm right to continue.
I do pack the boxes with my grandson and hope he gets the message that not all children are not as fortunate as he is.
I have my reservations but don't know the whole story.
Maybe you have more info on why I shouldn't do this.

As a long-standing supporter of Mary's Meals I 've been happy to work with DGD to put together a backpack of school necessities , toiletries etc. It isn't Christmas based and there is no overt evangelism ( like slipping a bible into the shoebox). By providing a basic meal they encourage families to send their children to school. Now feeding over a million children every day.

There are references to how the gifts are often inappropriate to their needs; and that also undermine local industry.

But that is the least of my worries. It is run by the son of Billy Graham and represents a homophobic, xenophobic right-wing evangelical organisation, Samaritan's Purse.

I have never considered the evangelical side of this.
I have always felt happy to support the scheme, I can only think of the joy of receiving a box which has been sent by someone caring ,the same as I send a donation to the Salvation Army for Christmas gifts and Crisis at Christmas, that someone will have a home for a few days and get support.
This thread has made me very sad and unsure, does anyone else feel the same?

I stopped doing the Samaritan purse shoeboxes a few years ago when I read so much about the evangelical side of it I hate the thought of bribing children into religion with presents
I now do my own collection minus any religion had 300 boxes last year hope to top it this year

It's a B isn't it - we want to do something as simple as shoe boxes but so much of this kind of thing is associated with things we don't want to support.

Thanks for the OP. I will continue to put things in various collection bins at our supermarkets. They collect for children at the women's refuge, food for distribution and also for the dog shelters. I know, dogs aren't as important as people but the shelters are over flowing and short of funds/blankets/towels and bedding. Life can feel very dispiriting at times, so I shall sing a chorus of always look on the bright side and do something positive tomorrow after what I hope will be a good nights rest. Goodnight all.

It is dispiriting I do agree. I feel that not only are the recipients being manipulated but so too are the donors who are thinking it is a simple act of human kindness.

I feel similarly uncomfortable with the shoeboxes and haven't taken part since I found out a bit more about it. On the one hand it can be a way of encouraging our youngsters to be generous but yes it can seem rather patronizing. I think that that evangelizing in this way, "through the back door" as it were, is underhand, lacks integrity and is not something I want to support or engage with.....and I'm a practising Christian. For the last few years I've bought items for a locally based project that works with sex workers, so the women can have a Christmas gift. Not such an easy one to explain to the grandchildren, I may explore Mary's Meals as an option this year!

My school always supported the Mary's Meals backpack project. As far as I'm aware Mary’s Meals consists of, respects, and reaches out to people of all faiths and of none.
When I retired I decided that my colleagues did not need another coffee maker/ toaster/ microwave etc in the staff room and donated to Mary's Meals in their name. In my opinion and in my own personal experience, education is the way to escape poverty.

another Mary's Meals supporter here ,we had Magnus give a talk at our local Rotary club and he was an inspiration,they hit the one billion meals last month ,thats quite an acheivement foor what he calls the charity run from a shed .

I have supported sending shoe boxes in the past but have not done it for some time. I believe our local Methodist church still does. I usually send a donation to two charities at Christmas and I sponsor a child in Uganda and am committed to putting her through school and university . She wants to return to her own country to be a doctor. I send extra money to the charity at Christmas so she gets a present from me.

I used to support it until I discovered what else was put into the box. A gift isn't a gift if it is given with an ulterior motive.

Mary's Meals sounds interesting.

Where/how do you send the Mary's Meals backpacks?

VQ backpacks are slightly awkward as the charity is based near Glasgow. I'll send mine via my son but will try to find out more about collection nationally. Maybe marydoll might know more. You'll have noticed that those of us who are currently supporters are Scots.
Meantime posters might be interested in this alternative.
Nearer Christmas, supporters are asked to set an extra ( virtual) place at their table. The average cost of a typical meal is around £14 and that sum will feed a child at school for a year.
On the website a table appears and each plate bears the name of a donor ( I tend to include a donation as part of a present and the recipient's name appears).
94% of all donations go directly to their work and they have recently declared that they do not pay the huge salaries to their executives that larger better-known charities do.
A friend of my son works for them and is an inspiring and enthusiastic young man.
At his wedding and at my son's, the table favours were Mary's Meals lapel pin badges.

I don't take part in this particular scheme because of the evangelical element, though others will think differently and have a perfect right to support it. I really can't agree though that it should be shunned because it's patronising. If we go down this route hardly any charities would get donations and the consequences of that would be devastating. Not everyone can be empowered, some just need to be helped.

I agree Maggie - but these are western presents that, so I read, seem irrelevant and pointless to those who receive them; and that local people who make culturally appropriate toys miss out on income. Better to donate money that can be used by the local population on things that they choose and are relevant to their lives and that really help.

Our local support group for homeless people has its own backpack scheme. I'll be taking part in that this year, as I have never seen so many vulnerable people sleeping out in this country.

I am trawling for a non-aligned organisation for Christmas donation that might be relevant to the school in some way - Mary's Meals looks good up to a point; but I find it hard to trust that religion-based organisations (however well-motivated and laudable, for which I applaud them wholeheartedly) are able to avoid evangelical overtones. Certainly OCC does not - they have taken the leaflets out of the boxes, but each child is given a religious tract in their own language at he same time s the box.

We have for a number of years ( since our girls were small) take part in a local 'Giving Tree' . The tree is loaded with stars with a child's first name, sex, age and things like shoe size.

The idea is that you purchase something for the child ( who will usually not get much else, wrap it and it will be delivered to them for Christmas Day.

My girls willingly gave up the cost of one gift each to do this and that money was spent on the child. We have carried this on with our GC and now they give up one gift to donate something thoughtful to another child.

Its a local initiative but when we have been in the US for Christmas we have usually found something similar there. I think its taught our girl ( and our grandchildren) a valuable lesson but its not a religiously based initiative.

I had no idea that the shoebox scheme had a hidden evangelical agenda. Thanks for the heads up.

Bluebelle can you tell us more about how you started your own scheme - sounds amazing!

I don't do the shoebox appeal, either, because if the evangelising. Also, I knew someone who lived in one of the Eastern Europe countries they operated in and the boxes were given out indiscriminately- she was prevailed upon to take some for her children even though they weren't in need and indeed nor were many of the other recipients.

There are also other things to consider such as whether it's worth shipping items thousands of miles when they can be bought locally. When I worked with charities in the developing world we tried to buy locally except where items were unavailable, in which case we would import them.

Giving to charity is a minefield nowadays, I think!

Imperfect27 I ve sent you a private message I don’t particularly want to go in the DM around this ?

Thanks BlueBelle - have messaged you back.