Operation Christmaschild Boxes

purple.sarah

I also love the idea of doing a Christmas shoe box but was concerned about the organisation Samaritan's Purse after looking into it:
"In 2001, The New York Times criticized Samaritan's Purse for having "blurred the line between church and state", in the way it had distributed publicly funded aid to victims of the El Salvador earthquake.[5] Residents from several villages stated they first had to sit through a half hour prayer meeting before receiving assistance.[6] In a statement, USAID said Samaritan's Purse had not violated federal guidelines, but emphasized the need for the organization to "maintain adequate and sufficient separation" between prayer sessions and publicly funded activities.[7] In 2003, Samaritan's Purse was widely criticized after its president, Franklin Graham, stated that Islam is a "very evil and wicked religion",[8][9] leading to opposition campaigns by Islamic leaders.[10] Samaritan's Purse responded to accusations of being anti-Islamic by highlighting their long history of non-denominational cooperation and charity work in Baghdad without attempting to preach or proselytize.[11]
Franklin Graham has also been criticized in the United States, for drawing a full-time salary from Samaritan's Purse, while at the same time receiving a full-time salary from Billy Graham Evangelistic Association. Non-profit experts have doubted that one person can do two full-time jobs leading organizations that employ hundreds and spend hundreds of millions around the world.[12]
The Samaritan's Purse project, Operation Christmas Child, has also been criticized in several countries, most notably in the UK,[13][14] but also in Canada,[15] the United States,[16] Ireland,[17] and others. In 2003, The British supermarket chain, Co-op, and South Wales Fire Service both suspended their support for the project after numerous complaints about its religious connections.[18][9] Samaritan's Purse responded by stating that Christian literature was only handed out where it was deemed appropriate"
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samaritan%27s_Purse

linkromania are Christian but they don’t place any literature in the boxes and promise not to discriminate in who the boxes are given to.

catkins

I have been doing the boxes for about 8 years. Last year I did 6 but this year I intend doing at least 8, but hopefully 10.

I buy bits all year when I see them. Lots I buy in the £1 shop - skipping ropes, cars, pens, pencils, erasers, soap, toothpaste, gloves, hats. I also knit some glove puppets.

Someone asked about boxes that stay in this country. Well I have not managed to find any organisation that does this but for the last two years I have bought items to give to the local hospital and they were very grateful. I bought things like games, books toys etc.

blonde36er

Purplesarah The school I worked at stopped doing them precisely because of the concerns about the methods that Samaritans Purse use when distributing the boxes, there are conditions attached to getting a box such as signing up to a course of Christian workshops, all well and good but these boxes are often distributed to non-Christian groups (precisely as your link says)

Whilst the idea is fabulous and the children do get presents through this, it is at a price. I hate the thought that people do a lovely, kind thing but at the other end that kindness is used by this group for less well-intentioned reasons.

The Lions/Rotary clubs and Salvation Army often do similar things but on a local basis, and local radio stations often do 'buy a present' schemes where you can drop off a gift for a local child at a supermarket or similar.

By all means, continue to donate to OCC if you want, but make sure you're aware that those giving out the presents probably aren't doing so in the manner that you'd intended them to.

purple.sarah

Good points blonde36er. The more I read about the organisation the more concerned I am. In their own words:

“That’s one of the things about Samaritan's Purse,” Michael, an OCC representative, said. “It’s not just about giving the boxes so the children can receive presents. Giving the boxes actually evangelizes more than people think."

“It’s not just a big gift. It’s not just humanitarian aid. It is a tool for evangelism so thank you for helping us evangelize our people.” - OCC representative, Kosovo

"That makes every shoebox packer a missionary." - Grand Forks Herald, Sept 27, 2004
http://pursestrings.ca/default.htm

I would rather give a box that is just about giving children presents, with no strings attached! I don't think everyone who sends a shoebox is aware they are being used as a "missionary".

I particularly think it's wrong if kids are encouraged by their school to pack the boxes so that Muslim kids could be packing shoeboxes which could be used to try and convert other Muslim children and inadvertantly supporting an organisation led by Franklin Graham who called Islam "a very evil and wicked religion."

Sending Christmas shoeboxes is an awesome idea, it's just a shame that for this organisation, “It’s not just about giving the boxes so the children can receive presents.”

got-it-spend-it

I have given through Link Romania in the past as well. I like that you do a family box and like their ethics too.

bbjohnny

got-it-spend-it wrote: »

I have given through Link Romania in the past as well. I like that you do a family box and like their ethics too.

I had never heard of this until now. I'm reading the website right now! http://www.linkromania.co.uk/shoebox-appeal

I don't want to get involved the debate side of things. I like that there are alternatives following a similar ethos for people to consider though.

Katiehound

purple.sarah wrote: »

“That’s one of the things about Samaritan's Purse,” Michael, an OCC representative, said. “It’s not just about giving the boxes so the children can receive presents. Giving the boxes actually evangelizes more than people think."

“It’s not just a big gift. It’s not just humanitarian aid. It is a tool for evangelism so thank you for helping us evangelize our people.” - OCC representative, Kosovo

"That makes every shoebox packer a missionary." - Grand Forks Herald, Sept 27, 2004
http://pursestrings.ca/default.htm

I would rather give a box that is just about giving children presents, with no strings attached! I don't think everyone who sends a shoebox is aware they are being used as a "missionary". (quote)

*********

I think a lot of people are not aware that the boxes are an evangelising tool. How worrying is that? I agree wholeheartedly with purple.sarah- those boxes should be gifts for children who get nothing. I shall be asking my friends which charity their boxes are destined for in the future.......

Well_Preserved

I heard a talk given by an Operation Christmas Child representative last Autumn. When the question of literature in boxes was raised it was categorically denied. 'The Greatest Journey' programme seems to me to say that it sometimes runs in areas where boxes are distributed, when children who have received boxes will be invited. It's some time since concerns about evangelising were raised - almost 10 years - so perhaps things have changed.

play2day

Well_Preserved wrote: »

I heard a talk given by an Operation Christmas Child representative last Autumn. When the question of literature in boxes was raised it was categorically denied. 'The Greatest Journey' programme seems to me to say that it sometimes runs in areas where boxes are distributed, when children who have received boxes will be invited. It's some time since concerns about evangelising were raised - almost 10 years - so perhaps things have changed.

Perhaps they have, but this youtube clip (dated 2010) shows that literature is being distributed with the boxes. This happens within the first ten seconds of the clip and so have a quick look and decide for yourself. The text accompanying the video states:

"she was able to hand out shoe box gifts and minister to these precious orphans with the love of Christ.
It's not too late to pack a gift this Christmas! Go to www.samaritanspurse.org/occ"

I will send my packed shoe boxes via Link Romania. They are a Christian organisation, but I have not found any evidence that they attempt to convert or 'save' the recipients (depending on your view point ).

pinkmami

I used to do them with the girls. Last time (3 yrs ago) I put in a little letter with my address & the girls wrote on it & fair play to the recipient she sent a thank you note - that was appreciated. But the thing that put me off doing them again was the photo she sent. It was of her, standing at the bottom of a very beautiful staircase with loads of gifts around her & she was beautifully dressed in a very beautiful surrounding. It seemed...how can I say this... wrong in a way as I thought these boxes when to disadvantaged kids. Maybe she was one of those but the photo sent out the wrong impression & I'm not doing them again. The image OCC send out is very different to the image I got from this photo......