Yes, it is, I know.
It is almost November and we are filling our shoe boxes Up-In-Here!
Back-up, do you know of Operation Shoe Box? A.k.a. Operation Christmas Child?
No? Ok, let me give you an education.
Samaritan's Purse (no?, really? check it out here.) is a ministry which has a ministry within it (a ministry inside of a ministry). O.Sb. or O.C.C. is the ministry within.
Alright, I am confusing myself.
Maybe, just check out the link, here.
Every year the McFive family preps 3 boxes for 3 little boys which our 3 little buddies shop for and
Back to the boxes. Once upon a time we did one. I am thrifty. I grew up poor-ish. Then -honest- something no less than a miracle happened and I stopped being as thrifty.
-Sidebar, being thrifty can be wonderful and has about 1,000,000+ benefits to it, but
it can also be a thorn in the side. It's poor-mentality.-
So, This Is Crap, People. My crap, and I had to deal.
Anyway, God intervened and now we do 3- one box per McFive child.
**SOAPBOX**
Speaking of poor-mentality, these children, the ones receiving the shoe boxes,
they are actually poor.
Many of them have never owned a toy before!
Some of them have never been given something "fun" and lighthearted!
The "poor" I know from childhood is drastically
-embarrassingly-
different from what these precious children know to be their live stories.
***
**...she steps down from her soapbox. drops her mic. boom...**
Here are some perks:
Each kiddo picks out his own fun items to put inside. -It's like they are shopping for what they would like, but we give it away! (Question: does this sound A) totally rad and good all around, or B), evil and confusing to the children?)
Let me know your thoughts below!!
In addition to the fun stuff the boys pick out for their shoe box friend, we also stock-up on some good ole' fashion necessities:
These include:
*flashlights
*baseball caps
*sunglasses
*toothbrushes
*soap
*band aids
*wash cloths
*flip flops
*drawstring bags
*pencils
*paper
*crayons
*sewing kit
*combs
Here is our spread:
Here are my little buddies with their respective boxes:
Zeplin's fun gifts include this green ball with a face
which bounces off a ring you loop onto your finger- also, it lights up.
He also has a football and this cool spiral art station which is compact and fun!
Demitri's fun gifts include an orange dinosaur,
a high bouncing ball, and a blue monster
made of the same material as the green guy above- it also lights up.
Thatcher's fun gifts include a train puzzle,
two dinosaurs, and a monster truck with big wheels
(as per O.C.C.'s recommendation).
These pictures will be printed and shipped along inside the shoe boxes with this rad paper "who Am I?" that O.C.C. sent out this year. Not only will a precious child somewhere out there in the world receive the shoe box stuffed with goodies, but he will also have the opportunity to respond and, at the least, see the precious boy who
Click on this link to see official videos, countdowns, and more!
How about some helpful tips?
First thing first, my intentions are good. Honest- we do THREE shoe boxes, people, but that entire thrifty spiel I just gave you, it has it's limitations.
We can FILL to the BRIM each shoe box for a small fraction of the price when we shop at the Dollar Tree.
*sing its praises, people*
They have SO MUCH there and, although some is crap, some is not.
We weed it out.
There are lists of suggestions O.C.C. offers. When we stay within those perimeters and use good ole' fashion common sense (no, I doubt the boy receiving this cares a lick about play doh which will HIGHLY LIKELY be ruined in 5 mins.), we are solid.
Other tips and tricks:
I ransack our house. OK, someone, somewhere, does NOT want to read this, but I insist on stating that we have so much stuff come through our doors that A) the stuff is in great shape, B), another child will probably appreciate it so much more than my own child who... C), does not even realize it is missing.
*party favors (kaleidoscopes, spinning tops, a Mario necklace)
*VBS left overs (all of those W.W.J.D. bracelets my sons loved over the summer and are currently lying all over the floors and under the dressers, purple crosses saying "Jesus loves you", and bookmarks with smiley faces).
*extras and excess. My sons have roughly 457 toy cars. I counted. They will so not even notice that I found one in really excellent shape, wiped it down with a disinfectant wipe, and slid it into the box.
Finishing touches:
In addition to the necessities and the fun items, the aforementioned letter and picture my sons are including, there are a few extra steps one can take.
Pray over the box. Truly. Pray for the volunteers and workers who will transport it to foreign lands. Pray fro the child who receives it.
Include a check or money order to cover costs. I think every year the price is rising, but I consider it all worthwhile...frugal as I am. This year the cost is $9 per box. It is NOT necessary to pay for shipping, but it sure is helpful for the mission. Also, they say you could do a check, or even cash. I find money orders to be the best bet. That's just my opinion.
Is that it?
Um...pick-up/drop-off? Lots of churches "host" these. The shoe boxes can actually be picked-up at the church hosting O.C.C.
Box sizing...if you do not get a pre-made box, the most standard size shoe box is necessary. I'm talking no boot boxes- tempting as it is to fill one of those bad boys with all kinds of goodies!
Deadline. Yes, there is a deadline. I don't know it, but if you are interested in picking up a box -or three!- you can ask the church collecting filled boxes when their deadline is.
Interested in learning about the JOURNEY of the SHOE BOX? Check it out here.
Respond to me! Tell me, do you package shoe boxes for O.C.C.? What are some of your staples? Where do you shop and how about this...have you ever heard a response form the child who received your package ?
blessings!
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