Around the turn of the millennium my family and I joined in with Operation Christmas Child, originated by a couple in Wrexham and eventually taken over by the charity Samaritan’s Purse. The whole concept is to decorate and fill a shoebox with suitable items for a child between the ages of 2-4, 5 – 10, or 11 – 14. Ideally the contents are a mixture of school items, toiletries and toys, destined for youngsters in war-torn zones or natural disaster areas… little ones who might have lost everything or have very little.
I encouraged my own son to put together boxes for boys of his own age and he had a lot of fun thinking about what a lad might like and how much he could shoehorn into the confines of a shoebox. Having only the one son, I, on the other hand, thoroughly enjoyed choosing all sorts of little girly sparkly pretty things which, normally, I never got to even look at let alone buy. In the shoe boxes we sent out we were encouraged to also include a Christmas card with a personal message. I used to also stick in a photo of us all with my contact details.
As my son grew up and life got busier it was an activity which gradually fell into abeyance within our household and I have to confess that I had completely forgotten all about the shoebox appeal… until yesterday when I received a message from a young lady in Serbia. As a child she had received several shoeboxes over the years and faithfully kept the cards and messages which accompanied them. She tells me that the other day she was looking for something and came across the cards and decided that she would like to send her thanks.
To say that I was surprised to receive her message was a major understatement… but I am also utterly delighted, touched and humbled. How often do we reach out to others through anonymous charitable acts, never expecting to hear more about the recipients, let alone receive thanks. My greatest joy is that the little girl who was has grown into a beautiful, accomplished and highly educated young woman with a good job, living in a world which is infinitely better than the one she grew up in. Knowing that I was able, for even a split second, to help support and bring encouragement and happiness to that little one to help her on her way is far more thanks than I could ever rightfully expect. To be able to now put a face and name to one of these children is simply the icing on the cake.
This has truly been my very best Christmas gift!
And you can depend upon it that next autumn I shall once more be filling a shoebox. So far, in the last thirty years since the charity was started, 178 million boxes have been delivered to little ones in need.
Might I interest you in also participating in this enjoyable and very worthwhile activity?
https://www.samaritans-purse.org.uk/what-we-do/operation-christmas-child
You made me cry! I hope I remember to do a shoebox too next year.
Sorry to make you cry, Annabel… actually, it made me cry too! I was deeply touched. And don’t worry, I shall be reminding everyone about the shoebox appeal in good time next autumn!
As you are encouraging other people to take part in this seemingly-innocent activity, Gill, you (and they) perhaps need to know that the evangelical Shepherds Purse association is run by the Trump-supporting son of Billy Graham. You can read about it here https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/nov/08/christmas-evangelical-christians-samaritans-purse-children-muslim-countries
and elsewhere, by Googling.
While Operation Christmas Child is now part of Samaritan’s Purse, we shouldn’t lose sight of the fact that it started out here in North Wales with ordinary people just filling up put put vans with Christmas shoeboxes and driving to the Balkans.
The original founder of the idea has restarted it independently again, based in Wrexham: https://teams4u.com/shoebox-appeal/shoebox-faq/
Unfortunately there will always be people who seek to subvert charity and goodwill for their own political, religious, and societal or moral agendas. But that shouldn’t eclipse the good will of people trying to do their best.
Thank you for this insight, Maria. However, the reality of who runs the organisation and delivers the gift boxes doesn’t lessen or detract from the pleasure I derived from putting that shoebox together, or the excitement with which that little girl received it, or indeed the deep joy that we have both experienced from being in touch with each other now.
If people wishing to do something similar next Christmas are worried about the provenance of the organisation running this – or any – charity, might I humbly suggest that they identify a child or family local to them and play ‘Secret Santa’ for them instead? In fact, in these challenging times when so many of our neighbours are in desperate circumstances, might I also suggest that they don’t wait until next Christmas but set about learning how they can support them now, be that practically, emotionally, openly or anonymously.
Finally, the world of spirit will use any tool or channel available to it to work it’s purpose and disseminate love.
Wearing my Quaker hat, I prefer to look for that of God in any and all men (and women).
Blessings to all beings.
If you read the article I attached, Gill, you would understand my concerns. I don’t think it is helpful to the world to support Islamophobia.