I took the girls shopping for "their" box. It was a great experience- they saw things that they wanted but were reminded that this wasn't about getting more stuff for us. Big Sister suggested some impractical gifts, either prompting a lesson in size comparison (no, I don't think that giant Barbie Doll set will fit in a shoe box, do you?) or, better yet, in poverty. She really wanted to put a Dvd in the box, because every Christmas she gets a new Dvd to make the holiday traveling easier. When I explained that these kids wouldn't have a Dvd player, or most likely a car for traveling, it amazed her. Which amazed me. I mean, we talk about poverty a lot in our house, but actually shopping taught her more than talking, or collecting our used items around the house, or even getting letters from our Compassion kids.
When I went to put all of the fun little girl stuff we bought into the box, there was too much. So we just decided to make both boxes for little girls.
It's hard to tell from the picture, but each little girl will get toys, socks & undies, a toothbrush & toothpaste, a bar of soap, a comb & pretty hair accessories, jewelry, stickers, and some lollipops. Big Sister filled out a darling information sheet to share a little about herself with the recipients.
We used the EZpay option to pay the $7/box shipping costs, which means we can actually track our shoeboxes and see where they end up. How cool is that?
This is national collection week for Operation Christmas Child, although I know many places around here have already finished collecting. Still, if you're interested, you might want to check out the website to see if there are collection centers still accepting boxes in your area. Or, if it is too late to pack a box this year, you can always make a donation to cover the shipping expenses for boxes that are turned in without the $7 donation.
I'm so glad we did this, and I'm sure it will become a holiday tradition in our house. What holiday traditions for giving to those less fortunate do you have in your family?
2 comments:
I'm a little ashamed to admit we don't have one of our own. My parents always did Christmas Angels, where they picked an paper angel from a Christmas Tree; the angel had written on it a name, age, grade, and a wish list from that child. They would get as much as they could for them - things on the wish list and necessities - kind of like your socks, undies, and soap... I'm pretty sure they always got a mini bible to put in also. But that was their tradition. Not mine. And for the first time ever - I wish I had my own! Thanks for sharing what a valuable tool that was for you and your girls.
We have always tried to do the "Angel Tree" at church over the years. It has run the gamut from names, age, wish list to age/gift cards. We did an OCC a year or two as well as a hat and mitten tree. The kids always looked forward to shopping for "their" angel. I hope it gave them a glimpse of how others live/survive. I guess I will see how they carry on the tradition as they become adults...
Post a Comment