2007 shoe box appeal collection point?

noonesperfect

Please does amyone know if or where there is a collection point for shoebox appeal in the York/Leeds area?

miss_angie1

You can find your local droo off point by adding your postcode in on the link below
http://www.samaritanspurse.uk.com/occ/dropoff-points.asp

skirt

I really don't like the fact that Operation Christmas Child seems to have religious strings attached to giving. Charirty should be non reciprocal and I am not convinced that Samaritans Purse wholly agrees with me. Plus I think Franklin Graham ( the man in charge)'s comments a couple of years ago about Islam being a wicked religion (or something like that) were completely out of order. I really object to my children being used by evangalists who say "Our outreach to these children and their families may begin with a shoe box gift," explains International President Franklin Graham, "but our ultimate goal is to open doors to share the Good News of Jesus Christ and to open hearts to receive Him as Lord and Savior."I don't encourage my children to do shoeboxes for Samaritans Purse , we do one the local womens refuge - a toy and a lippy, lush bath bomb etc

cw635

I sent a few shoe boxes through Samaritan's Purse last year. I'm not religious so didn't expect any brownie points for doing it and I'm not sure Christians would either. I just did it to make some poor kids happy on Christmas morning.

I agree with your view of Franklin Graham. He said "The god of Islam is not the same God of the Christian or the Judeo-Christian faith. It is a different god, and I believe a very evil and a very wicked religion." Obviously this is abhorrent and some would argue inaccurate as well as there is a clear link between the Abrahamic Religions. But I wasn't sending the gifts to him anyway.

The shoe boxes go to kids of all faiths or none and the Bible stories are "made available where appropriates and in culturally sensitive ways" so I don't see any harm in it really. I certainly don't think that Jesus is shoved down the kid's throats and there are regulations that say you can't place items of religious or political sensitive nature in the boxes. Eg, a cross. If the organisation had any sinister agenda I don't think they'd have rules like that.
I'd think the fact that the kids are getting a Christmas present at all means they're aware of the origin of Christmas and it's pretty much become a secular festival now anyway.

I hadn't thouught of giving shoe boxes to a charity in this country; I haven't seen any advertised but I will look into that too. This Morning do that Christmas appeal with drop off points for gifts for kids in orphanages and I usually do that.

lisadupreez

I saw something like this at a local fair. As I will be leaving the country in November I thought this would be a very good idea for getting rid of "all my crap", but good crap. Rubbishy things like teddy bears that people have given me (I'm 37 !!!!!!), and stupid little nick-naks that I'm either going to freecycle or bin. Giving to charity sounded like a fab idea!

noonesperfect

miss_angie1 wrote: »

You can find your local droo off point by adding your postcode in on the link below
http://www.samaritanspurse.uk.com/occ/dropoff-points.asp

Thanks, I tried this before and it didn't bring anything back. However on trying it again today I now know where I can take my shoebox to locally.

olivetti

Unless you are an evangelical christian then I would not have anything to do with this lot. See here:

humfam.humgroups.org.uk/Samaritans_Purse.html


Here are some alternatives:

http://www.humanism.org.uk/site/cms/contentviewarticle.asp?article=1517

Many government departments, the civil service, Fire Service as well as private organisations have banned any involvement with them during work time becaue of the nature of their "work".

Hope this helps

cw635

Obviously we're all free to help those charities we wish to and I respect the apprehension some have about this charity but I think the good they do outweighs any bad. Operation Christmas Child is only one aspect of what they do. They help all sorts of people all year long and yes, as they are a Christian charity they believe they should spread the gospel.

I'm sure the kids that receive the presents are completely unaware of any rascist undertones the organisers may or may not have and are just happy to have something to open on Christmas day and that's why I sent the boxes last year and why I will again this year.

It's very easy for us in the West to make religious and socio-political statements by refusing to support certain charities but then most if us have the benefit of not needing them. If I was the victim of a natural disaster and samaritan's purse offered me help I wouldn't refuse it because I didn't like evangelical Christians and I'm sure it doesn't occur to the children getting the boxes either.

They include a book of Bible stories where appropriate but so what? If I opened a gift from a friend and found a Bible, or any other holy book for that matter, that I didn't want I'd politely thank them and never read it. Why wouldn't the people overseas do the same?

Let's not make kids receiving presents at Christmas (a Christian festival!) the arena to discuss the merits and pitfalls of evangelical Christianity. Just think of it as making a little kid happy!

tealady

Good point CW, I'm an athiest but do donate a box. After all I still like getting prezzies at Xmas!