Operation Christmas Child

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Operation Christmas Child is a worldwide giving program run by the Evangelical Christian organization Samaritan's Purse.

Contents

[edit] History

The project started in the UK in 1990 as an outreach to children in Romania and was adopted by Samaritan's Purse in 1993, when 28,000 boxes were delivered to children in war-torn Bosnia. Since then, Samaritan's Purse has collected and distributed more than 46 million boxes to boys and girls in over 130 countries.

[edit] Procedure

The project generally begins in the month of October and finishes with a worldwide collection week near the end of November. All around the world, people pack shoeboxes with gifts for a specific age range and sex (such as "Boy, 10-14 years old" or "Girl, 2-4 years old"). The most common items placed in the boxes are school supplies, small toys, and hygiene products. These boxes are then collected by Samaritan's Purse and shipped to third-world countries. The boxes are sometimes handed out with various Christian evangelical materials. In 2006, the program is expected to deliver eight million boxes to nearly 90 countries.[1]

The boxes are packed by families, churches, businesses, and schools in Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Finland, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Ireland, the Netherlands, Belgium, the United Kingdom and the United States. Tens of thousands of volunteers process the boxes in Operation Christmas Child collection points and warehouses during the holiday season. Samaritan's Purse then ships the boxes to developing countries where local churches and organizations distribute them to children affected by poverty, war, disease, and natural disaster.

[edit] Criticism

In recent years, several critics have questioned the altruism of the project, noting that evangelical Christian literature has been distributed with the shoeboxes, and have alleged that the project's underlying aim is the proselytization of non-Christians.[2] Islamic leaders have also campaigned against Operation Christmas Child due to statements made by Samaritan's Purse leader Franklin Graham.[3]

In 2006, Rumors spread that the UK operations of Operation Christmas Child banned Christmas themed children's gifts, sparking backlash from some Christian leaders.[4]

[edit] Official websites

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ [1]
  2. ^ [2]
  3. ^ [3]
  4. ^ [4]
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