First Baptist Church is Janesville drop-off site for Operation Christmas Child
Photo
Julia Amstutz covers a shoebox in Christmas wrapping paper before filling it with gifts as part of Operation Christmas Child.
Photo
Marilyn Bornemann (left) and Debi Ashley add candy, school supplies and other items to a shoebox as part of Operation Christmas Child at First Baptist Church.
Photo
Shoeboxes sit waiting to be filled with school supplies, books and other items at First Baptist Church as part of Operation Christmas Child.
JANESVILLE — It's simple, and it doesn't take a lot of money, time or effort.
That's why Laura Bornemann, relay coordinator at the intake center for Operation Christmas Child in Janesville, is encouraging people to get involved and help underprivileged kids around the world.
Anybody—regardless of age—can participate. Enlist others—families, churches, scout troops, community groups and businesses—to create shoebox gifts, she said.
"Go to the store, think gender and age and start buying stuff for that boy or girl," Bornemann explains. "Then go home, put it in a shoebox and write a letter thinking about the person hopefully receiving it, telling them a bit about yourself and your family."
Not sure what to buy? Bornemann offers these ideas: Small stuffed teddy bears, pencils, hair bows for a girl, a ball for a boy, a book, crayons and a coloring book, socks, hard candy or gum.
"I went to the store yesterday, probably spent $25 to $30 and had four boxes filled. It really doesn't take a lot of money to fill a shoebox," she said.
Those who can't get out to shop can help by making a cash donation for shipping of the boxes. Checks should be made out to Samaritan's Purse and delivered to First Baptist Church, 3414 Woodhall Drive, Janesville.
Shoeboxes should be wrapped in Christmas paper, but lids should be wrapped separate from the bottom of the box to allow for inspection before shipment, Bornemann said.
Here's what you need to know about the project:
1. Collection dates. National Collection Week is Nov. 14-21.
2. Local collection site. First Baptist Church, where local volunteers are busy preparing to receive around 900 gift-filled shoeboxes.
3. Collection dates and hours. 9 a.m. to noon, Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, Nov. 14-15 and 17-18; 9 a.m. to noon and 6 to 8 p.m., Wednesday, Nov. 16; 9 a.m. to noon and 4 to 7 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 19; 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., Sunday, Nov. 20; 9 to 11:30 a.m., Monday, Nov. 21.
4. What is Operation Christmas Child? It is the world's largest Christmas project of its kind, having hand-delivered 86 million gifts to children worldwide since 1993. A project of international Christian relief and evangelism group Samaritan's Purse, Operation Christmas Child reaches suffering children worldwide with "gifts of hope." This year's donations from the Upper Midwest will be sent to Zambia in South Africa and to India.
5. For more information. Call the church at (608) 752-8151 or visit samaritanspurse.org/occ.
Nov 13, 2011 at 6:10 p.m.
Suggest removal
"A project of international Christian relief and evangelism group Samaritan's Purse, Operation Christmas Child reaches suffering children worldwide with 'gifts of hope.'" Hmmm...well, let's check 'em out!
Well, the Better Business Bureau (BBB) Wise Giving Report/analysis of Samaritan's Purse states that the organization "Samaritan's Purse (SP) does not meet the following 3 Standards for Charity Accountability" and indicates CEO AND Chairman of the Board (yup - same guy!) compensation is follows:
"Chief Executive AND Chairman of the Board: W. Franklin Graham, III, President and CEO Compensation: $534,772 (2008 compensation includes annual salary and, if applicable, benefit plans, expense accounts, and other allowances."
(http://www.bbb.org/charity-reviews/natio...)
In addition, Wikipedia reports:
"In 2001, The New York Times criticized Samaritan's Purse for having "blurred the line between church and state", in the way it had distributed publicly funded aid to victims of the El Salvador earthquake.[5] Residents from several villages stated they first had to sit through a half hour prayer meeting before receiving assistance.[6] In a statement, USAID said Samaritan's Purse had not violated federal guidelines, but emphasized the need for the organization to "maintain adequate and sufficient separation" between prayer sessions and publicly funded activities.[7]
In 2003, Samaritan's Purse was widely criticized after its president, Franklin Graham, stated that Islam is a "very evil and wicked religion",[8][9] leading to opposition campaigns by Islamic leaders.[10] Samaritan's Purse responded to accusations of being anti-Islamic by highlighting their long history of non-denominational cooperation and charity work in Baghdad without attempting to preach or proselytize.[11]
Franklin Graham has also been criticized in the United States, for drawing a full-time salary from Samaritan's Purse, while at the same time receiving a full-time salary from Billy Graham Evangelistic Association. Non-profit experts have doubted that one person can do two full-time jobs leading organizations that employ hundreds and spend hundreds of millions around the world.[12]"
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samaritan%2...)
Nov 12, 2011 at 5:42 p.m.
Suggest removal
Mark 16:15-18
15 He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. 16 Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. 17 And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues; 18 they will pick up snakes with their hands; and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all; they will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well.”
Before you post a comment, consider this:
Note: GazetteXtra.com does not condone or review every comment. Read more in our User Policy AgreementPost Comment
Commenting requires registration.