Operation Christmas Child

Well, it's the time of year again for Operation Christmas Child, a program where people around the country contribute shoe boxes filled with toys and gifts, and the shoe boxes are delivered to children in underprivileged countries around the world. Although I'm not a big fan of the force-Christianity-on-people-under-the-guise-of-charity aspect of it, I think it's important to do this with my kids each year to teach them the ethic of helping people who are less fortunate. It's really fun to go to the store and pick out presents to go in the shoe box, plus the most exciting (preferably holographic) wrapping paper possible, and imagine how excited a little girl or boy will be (you get to pick boy or girl and their age range) when they open the box and see all their goodies!

This is our shoe box from last year.

There are drop-off locations all around the country, so it is easy to do, and it gives me a warm feeling inside to know that I will have made some child far away very happy.