Nonprofit of the Month: November 09

I haven't had much time to think, eat, or sleep lately so pardon my absence here. I was REALLY excited about this particular nonprofit project, and have been anxious to share it.

My church in Saegertown was hosting a thing where you could sort of sponsor a child's Christmas gifts by filling a shoebox full of things. I looked into it a little more after the fact and found that it's part of an organization whose purpose is international aid. The program is called Operation Christmas Child. I didn't know at the time that was an international thing, so I don't know if all of my stuff was relevant and usable for a child abroad - hopefully yes. For the record, though, I do think everything I got was on the list of suggestions.

My church must have sponsored the plastic boxes and printed out instructions for us, and all we had to do was take a box and stuff it with things appropriate for a child of the age and gender of your choice. I debated back and forth and decided that I would sponsor a boy aged 5-9 (that way I could reference some camp kids for guidance).

I have to say... I was really proud of the work I did. I gave myself my normal monthly nonprofit budget and decided to buy everything at Wal-Mart in one trip. So I spent at least an hour and a half on a Friday night wandering around, looking for items that might be fun, may be practical, and small enough to fit in the shoebox. I added up prices as I went, and checked things off of my list of suggested items to buy. Even the checkout lady was excited when I told her what I was doing!

Here's what I accumulated:


















A Nerf football, silly putty, window crayons (cool right?!), Lifesavers, a card game, supercool Batman toothbrushes and toothpaste, fleece hat and gloves, Pez dispensers, Hotwheels, a toy headlamp flashlight, and a stuffed tree frog. I ended up 18 cents under budget. I was really proud of myself for my shopping prowess.

















And then I packed it up and dropped it off!

BUT all that to say... it's not about me. I hope that this box can bring joy to a child somewhere. I recommend watching the videos here: http://www.samaritanspurse.org/index.php/OCC/Pack_A_Shoe_Box/

I absolutely recommend this kind of project to anyone as a wonderful way to donate. You're putting your mind and you heart and your hands into it - not just sending-off a check.