I just had a mad thought!

We could do a Sheffield Forum Operation Christmas Child!

For those of you who have no clue what I'm on about - you get a shoe box and get lots of little gifts (there's a leaflets with rules on what you can/can't put in the box) wrap the box off and send it off - then it's sent to a child in a 3rd world country who wouldn't usually get a christmas present.

I've done this 3 times (but only once sent it off :blush: I'm not very organised) and though perhaps we could all do it - collect them all up and send them off!

Don't know how many people are active on the forum but if all the active members did one - that would be a lot of Christmas boxes!


So what do you think?

I remeber doing this, where can you get the slips
i used to put toothbrushes, toothpaste and toilitries in with a few chocs :D

great idea

I'll ask - I used to get them from my church - I'm sure I could order some! Just need to know how many people might be interested. If you want to pick one up yourself, I know that you can get them from schools and churches.

I'll try and find out more :thumbsup:

i would love to do that

I think we may be a bit late. But I was thinking (sorry to hijack your thread lottie) that maybe the forum could do somthing for the needy here in Sheffield? I have a few ideas floating around in my head but would like to hear other opinions too.

The majority of your local churches will already be doing this, why not join them instead.

I know someone who used to regularly volunteer in the sorting of the presents and would often find things like food or even toy guns in parcels going to war torn African countries. Some people are just thick I suppose!

I did a shoebox last year through an organisation called Samaritan's Purse. I'm sure someone had a thread about this a few weeks ago?!

I don't have a problem with donating things to the 'have nots' of the world, but as a non Christian I don't really feel very comfortable sending Christmas gifts or religious messages to people who aren't Christian, or who may see it as a patronising relation of sending a missionary to see them.

Christmas is no more important than any other time of year in terms of giving what we can to those less fortunate than ourselves (both in this country and abroad). It is purely our sentimentality that means that we see Christmas presents as being important.

I'd like to make it plain though- I do donate to a number of charities on a routine basis, and I do agree that for the most part whatever internal reasoning makes people donate needs to be explored and used to the best effect for those who are truly in need.

For the record- I'm Humanist, therefore not for or against any world religion, just againt the paternalistic approaches taken by many religions, in particular Christianity in the past.

Any help is worth while and I don’t think these churches only give the gifts to the children who promise to convert to Christianity.

But complaining and taking exception JUST because its organised by a religious group, is rather petty and juvenile in my view.

The world’s poor need MORE help and while you’re arguing others are putting their time to good use and helping!

I'm not 'complaining' JUST because they are organised by religious groups- in fact the last thread that was about doing this actually stated that religious information leaflets were included in the present boxes- what I was saying was that I was not going to send CHRISTMAS presents, I send money and goods YEAR ROUND.

If you read my post I was very specific in stating that I believe that we all have a duty to help people less fortunate than ourselves, wherever they may be in the world, and at all times of the year, not just at Christmas, bearing in mind that many of the people who could do with the help don't celebrate Christmas anyway.

My intention was NOT to dissuade anybody else from sending these packages, only to point out that there are needs year round and that the whole religious aspect of this could be a very sensitive subject in many areas of the world.