For those of us out there that like to give. IMHO one of the most precious ways to do so is the Operation Christmas Child Program being conducted by www.samaritanspurse.org

It is a program where you simply obtain a shoe box, any type will due, but at the same time on that can be bought at a Dollar store that is made of plastic is the best kind. The children that receive them can use them for storing food and other essentials after Christmas.
Here is what you do, and this works REALLY well when involving your kids, you can use this to teach them about giving and helping others that are less fortunate...
Get your shoe Box(s), and fill them with a little bit of everything for a child.
1) a new pair of sox
2) a new small pair of shoes.
3) a small bag of hard candy
4) a small toy

You get the idea, then have your child write a little note/Letter tot he child telling them who they are and where they are from. You may even include a self addressed stamped envelope for mailing a return letter.

Then go to the SamaritansPurse Web Site and look on the home page, it has a place to enter your Zip code to find a distribution Center near you. As well as other instructions for dropping them off, and what to put in them.

this is a great program and the effect that it will have for the children that receive them is just amazing.

You will also want to mark the box for a boy or a girl, but the SamaritansPurse site should have instructions on how to obtain one of their Brochures that have a little colored cut out for that.

May God Bless Each and Every One who Gives this Holiday Season, Especially in these hard economical times.
In Jesus Name, Amen! -

bigdaddydiesel's Sig:

'03 GMC 2500HD ext Cab Short Bed LB7, K&N CAI w/AFE Fltr, Banks 6-gun w/ PDA , FASS Pump, 6-Spd Man Tranny w/ Custom Dual Disk Clutch By: South Bend:, Pyro and Boost Gauges in the A-Pillar.
'02 GMC 3500 Dually 4X4 ext cab Long Bed Dually LB7 D-Max, No Mods yet...

its a good deal. my church has been doing it for a while now. seeing the video clips of the chldren getting the boxes is a very moving moment also. if yall have never done it you are missing out on the joy you bring to a little kid -

biged681985's Sig:

1999 dodge 2500
bombs: 12 valve with alot of bugs.

No Doubt Biged, when you see the joy on their faces BEFORE they even open the boxes!!! Just to get a gift PERIOD, means so much to them that it is truly amazing. We in our country at times are so SPOILED that we sometimes forget how hard children in other countries truly have it...

We are Truly Blessed to be here!!! -

I used to do those every year from the time I was like 4-14ish. Half the time our church still had half of the boxes sitting in the church after Christmas so I quit doing them. One year a girl that was in our class put nothing but underwear in the box so our teachers unwrapped her shoe box and put stuff in there that a little kid would actually enjoy. -

MrS_sLoWtOwPiG's Sig:

97 Ford Powerstroke
01 Tahoe

We are always told to leave them the way a child packs them, with the exception of adding some candy and a Bible. The idea in this Church is that God uses those children packing them to fulfill needs as well. One example, similar to yours, a couple of years ago a child put nothing but sox in his, and when it arrived it went to a boy that had received 2nd and 3rd degree burns on his feet and could not wear shoes, so it was full of exactly what he needed.
No matter what is in them though, to give to someone less fortunate is IMHO what it is all about. To see the faces of children who would normally not even expect a gift is an amazing feeling... -

True, I see your point. But the underwear weren't wrapped they were just thrown in there, so that would've made me wonder too. I didn't do that much longer after that year, kinda pointless to do it if the boxes didn't make it out to where they were supposed to go. I rang the bell for the salvation army a couple times in high school. My favorite thing to do was meals on wheels because you got to see the peoples faces when you brought them food. -

Of course I see your point too, it takes a lot of time and work to keep up with a drive like this, but if the people in charge of it in a certain area do not go the distance then it takes the Blessing out of it.
IMO, as long as we give, in one form or another, (this one having an actual website and drop points almost anywhere) Then we are fulfilling the call.
We do this, but also every year there is a local food drive to help feed the needy in our town and one highlight of our season is not only donating to it, but the kids love it when we actually deliver the food from door to door, they like the feeling they get when they think they are truly helping. -

That's good your kids think like that, not too many do. -

They absolutely LOVE doing for others, don't get me wrong, they still want the world on a platter. They just have a giving spirit as well... -