One of the traditions that my mom started in our home awhile ago was Operation Christmas Child. Each year, Samaritan's Purse International Relief organization collects thousands of shoeboxes filled with gifts and distributes them to needy children across the world. Their mission statement is as follows:
The mission of Operation Christmas Child is to demonstrate God's love in a tangible way to needy children around the world, and together with the local church worldwide, to share the Good News of Jesus Christ.
Next week is their collection week! Even if you don't know of a church or organization around you that is collecting boxes, you can find a drop off location that is closest to you by checking their website --> here! Their website also has instructions for packing the boxes and all the forms you'll need. You just need to print and fill out the label, fill a shoe box or small plastic box with a removable lid, and drop off your shoebox with $7 for shipping and other expenses at the closest dropoff location.
Our family will definitely be having a fun family night getting our boxes together next week! A couple other ideas for gifts that keep on giving are...
1) TOMS Shoes - For every pair of shoes you buy, TOMS gives a pair to a child in need.
2) TWLOHA TShirts - To Write Love on Her Arms is a non-profit movement dedicated to presenting hope and finding help for people struggling with depression, addiction, self-injury and suicide. TWLOHA exists to encourage, inform, inspire and also to invest directly into treatment and recovery. Their first tshirts were sold to pay for their friends treatment and worn by a few well-known Christian bands (Switchfoot and Anberlin), before they became popular.The profits from the tshirts go to funding treatment and recovery.
3) shop.TheLiteracySite.com - Tons of fun handmade and green items you can buy. Every purchase goes toward giving books and education to children in need. Click here to find out how!
4) WearPACT Underwear - Another opportunity to promote literacy! Buy this fun 826 National underwear design to support young writers. (Other causes you can contribute to include rainforest preservation and protecting our oceans and marine life...kind of treehuggerish, but hey!)
5) XO Laptops - Right now, the One Laptop per Child movement is doing a Get One, Give One promotion. Where for a discounted price ($399) they will send one laptop to your child and one to a child in need, to provide them with educational opportunities and the power to create and collaborate.
(**Values disclaimer: While I can vouch for the vision and values of Samaritan's Purse, TOMS, and TWLOHA. I don't know about the last three. I've only heard about their charities, but I'm not aware of other alternative causes that they may or may not support, so I'll definitely do a bit more research on those before I purchase anything, and I would encourage you to do the same.**)
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