Off they go…

Well, we’ve sent our shoeboxes off to Operation Christmas Child again this year.  This is a program of Samaritan’s Purse where people in a number of countries fill shoeboxes with various items like toys, school supplies, candy, hygiene supplies, etc. then they send them to needy children worldwide. I believe it started in the early 90’s in response the Bosnian crisis.  Over the years these shoeboxes have brightened the Christmases of a number of children all around the world who otherwise wouldn’t have had any other presents or celebrations in hospitals, orphanages, refugee camps, and other dreary spots around the world.  Over the years my family’s boxes have gone to eastern Europe and Africa (that we know of either from letters, or through their
new tracking system, where you donate to cover the cost of shipping and they put a barcode on the label, and e-mail you updates).  I used decorated scissors to cut around the label that I printed on label paper:

I know the wrapping paper isn’t particularly Christmas themed, but it matched the colors of the what I was putting in it, so  I thought it would be pretty.  You can see below what I put in mine, it took some packing, but it all fit.  A lot of the stuff mom & I picked up @ CVS on sale.  You can see some of it on her blog here.