Christmas Charity Shoe boxes

SugarSpun

If anyone is interested this is the booklet (translated into over 100 languages).

Serenity

I think it is disgusting that christian (and other religion) charities use these kind of appeals to spread their "word". I am honestly extremely disgusted right now. I have always enjoyed filling these and sending them back to the charities. It should be made explicitly clear if these kind of leaflets are going to be included. And not small print clear. People should have to say it.

I will be looking for some to do this year. The more secular the better.


There is a local initiative in my area to do boxes for elderly people. Food stuffs such as you would give in harvest festival collections and some gifts are meant to go in them.

Clara2141

In my local area my vets do them for the local animal shelters - I doubt any religious material goes in them...it would be wasted on the animals.

We fill 4 a year - 2 for each shelter - 1 cat 1 dog. We also take big boxes of cat food to the shelter we adopted our cat from.

Yes they don't know what Christmas is but I like to try and help them out. They have so many pets abandoned around this time of year and the staff work so hard.

AMIE399

clara2141, thats lovely and im going to see if our vets do anything like that

juliebunny

Clara2141 wrote: »

In my local area my vets do them for the local animal shelters - I doubt any religious material goes in them...it would be wasted on the animals.

We fill 4 a year - 2 for each shelter - 1 cat 1 dog. We also take big boxes of cat food to the shelter we adopted our cat from.

Yes they don't know what Christmas is but I like to try and help them out. They have so many pets abandoned around this time of year and the staff work so hard.

That is a great idea - and I bet the cats would enjoy the box as much as the toys and treats inside. Hope you don't mind if I steal this idea for the shelter i help with!

Margaret54

Hi My husband and I have been doing the shoebox appeal each year for many years n0w and we are very happy to do this. It is a lovely idea. Thank you also to the posters who mentioned other charities as I have not heard of these before. The backpack project and Mary's meals sound great ways to help other people.

Clara2141

juliebunny wrote: »

That is a great idea - and I bet the cats would enjoy the box as much as the toys and treats inside. Hope you don't mind if I steal this idea for the shelter i help with!

Of course not! It's not my idea anyway it our vets...:) The more people giving to shelters the better. We fill the boxes with treats, food, bowls and food. The odd blanket too.

The shelter we adopted from has approx 70 cats at the mo either in the shelter or foster and have a no kill policy. They do amazing work and (hijaking thread here) so why not give a bit back.

jazabelle

In regards to sending items to our troops - last year I remember there was an appeal to stop sending items to them, as their own christmas gifts and letters from friends and family were struggling to get through.

blonde36er

The OCC/Samaritans Purse boxes are not only given to poor children either - there was a post on Mumsnet last year or the year before where a fellow MNer's children received boxes via their nursery - the nursery was based in a rather affluent area and the children had no need for tubes of toothpaste or pencils.

You could argue 'but that's one case amongst all those in need' - but surely a better way of helping is to donate money to charities which don't include evangelising materials or push attendance at bible study classes with the lure of presents to impoverished children?

The Mary's Meals scheme seems quite a good one.

The Rotary Club in many areas operate a shoebox scheme, and women's refuges are usually in need of help either in the form of clothing, toiletries or small gifts for the women and children who come to them often with nothing more than the clothes they are wearing.

dropsofjupiter

popularfurball wrote: »

Is anyone aware of stuff for kids in hospital over christmas or similar? If not will rock with the post pals thing.

Ive looked at homeless charities and st mungos do collect stuff but about all i can find.

http://www.oxford-coveredmarket.co.uk/content/help-collect-christmas-presents-oxford-children%E2%80%99s-hospital

I imagine other hospitals do similar things. At work we are sending sets of books to children in Birmingham Children's hospital but I can't find a link for that one!