Operation Christmas Child

dragonlily · 11 November 2017 at 7:05PM

Hi, my daughter's school is doing Operation Christmas Child. She is really excited and we have filled the box and it is all ready to go.

However, I have had a look on the website and now feel a bit uncomfortable. I have no concern about supporting charities with a religious basis etc. However, this one seems quite evangelical in nature. I didn't realise they pushed children to do a bible study course after receiving the shoe box.

http://https://www.samaritans-purse.org.uk/what-we-do/operation-christmas-child/

I think now we have done it, we will send but wondered whether to raise with school about whether they could pursue other causes in the future. It is a community primary school, and I just think children should be able to have a more informed choice about issues around religion?

Any thoughts?

Prinzessilein · 11 November 2017 at 7:16PM

The Children are given an OPTION to do a course...no pushing!

The boxes themselves are kept strictly non-Christian...not even a religious card.

I have filled boxes for years...they are a wonderful charity who do a lot of good work.

dragonlily · 11 November 2017 at 7:18PM

Thank you, that makes me feel much better

elsien · 11 November 2017 at 7:21PM

There are less evangelical alternatives. And alternate viewpoints.

https://humanism.org.uk/humanism/humanism-today/humanists-doing/good-causes-and-charities/samaritans-purse/

dragonlily · 11 November 2017 at 7:33PM

Thank you, I am reading now.

Katiehound · 11 November 2017 at 9:50PM

here's another one which is a Christian charity but gives boxes to folk of any colour, creed or religion in E.Europe. No literature is allowed in the boxes.

They have been going to this area ever since the horrors of the Ceausescu regime came to light.

Their boxes are aimed at either family or elderly people.

Here's last year delivery diary- made me cry to see how a shoe box made such a difference to folk who have ... nothing.
https://linktohope.co.uk/shoebox-appeal-2017/shoebox-delivery-diary-2016

https://linktohope.co.uk/

Sarastro · 11 November 2017 at 10:20PM

I think it's completely wrong even to give leaflets with the boxes. These are vulnerable children who will easily feel the box is payment for attending some evangelical nonsense. There are plenty of non-religious alternatives.

candjsmum · 12 November 2017 at 4:00PM

I have done 2 shoe boxes ever since my children were babies and as they grew older would encourage them to choose things for them. This was through the Samaritans purse. The last 3 years we have been doing them with these https://www.blythswood.org/shoe-box-appeal-2017-order-form
We found a bit more flexibility in the age range and what you can put into them. This year we done one for a teenage girl and boy and in the girls we enclosed some sanitary items which I thought was a good idea.
I collect things throughout the year and then make them up early October ready to deliver to the lady who co-ordinates it in our area.

System · 14 November 2017 at 12:17PM

I'm extremely uncomfortable about the religious aspect too and it put me right off reading about it. I know its a christian holiday but there's nothing like an excuse to prey on vulnerable.
I generally do other things, like buy for the homeless or last year somewhere local did a handbag appeal for users of the food bank (pack one with treat items for mothers who wouldn't usually receive)

Fosterdog · 16 November 2017 at 10:27PM

Prinzessilein wrote: »

The Children are given an OPTION to do a course...no pushing!

The boxes themselves are kept strictly non-Christian...not even a religious card.

I have filled boxes for years...they are a wonderful charity who do a lot of good work.

I actually disagree with this, a friend of mine used to volunteer for them and spent two years on the ground in Africa handing them out and despite what they say about not trying to force religion they are lying. The whole point of the operation is to convert.

She went for the second year after honestly beilieving it was just her volunteer group leader who was pushing the religion the first year and went to a different area with a different group of volunteers and different group leader the second year and it was worse than the first. She’s Christian herself but was horrified by what they actually do, which they obviously know is wrong otherwise they wouldn’t feel the need to hide it from supporters.

The other organisations with no religious affiliation are a much better way of sending these gift boxes

ska_lover · 21 November 2017 at 11:51PM

There are other, practical ways, you could support kids from abroad, purchasing healthcare through Oxfam or sponsoring a child all year through and these remove the religious connotations that are ingrained in Christmas

Operation Christmas Child

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