I modified a list found on
Samaritan's Purse's
OCC page to create a suggested gift list! I hope that this is helpful to all of you who are packing shoeboxes this year.
Are there things that you like to include in the boxes? I'd love to hear more ideas!
I love to include magic washcloths. In fact, I am 15 and am sad if I don't get one for Christmas from my mom! I love to go to Dollar Tree and find all the cute stuff to send. Usually they have really soft stuffed animals and light-up bouncy balls and magic washcloths :) It's so fun to pack shoe boxes! I hope your packing party is awesome. Wish I was close enough to go! :)
ReplyDeleteThat's a great idea!! I just found some magic washcloths for our 6 boxes at the Dollar Tree the other day!! I love the idea of light-up bouncy balls too!! Thanks so much for the ideas!!! I wish you lived close enough to come too :)
DeleteMy grandmother was asked by her church to make drawstring bags for their shoeboxes last year. They gave her tons of fabric and money to buy cord, and she has sewed all these ditty bag things. She gave my cousin and I some last year for our shoeboxes, and she's doing the same thing again this year! Some of them are really cute- this year I snagged a bag made out of cupcake fabric. I think it's cool because it's a personal touch, and gives the kids something special to carry their new stuff in, in case the shoeboxes fall apart or whatever.
ReplyDeleteI also always include a card with my address in my shoeboxes! One year I got a message back from a girl who got one of my boxes- I think she was in Liberia. Anyway, I was so sad because she said I could write back, but the address on the envelope was ineligible! I still pray for her, though!
That is so neat that your grandmother made drawstring bags for the boxes!!! That's a great idea to give the kids something to carry their stuff in. And how fun that your received a letter from a girl in Liberia. I received a letter from a family in India...but wasn't able to write back for the same reason. My sister received a letter from a girl in Ghana and was actually able to write back!! It's so fun to receive letters!!
DeleteI was going to say little bags, but Jessi beat me to it. I like to find either the drawstring bags or fold up ones (like at IKEA) and put them in.
ReplyDeleteI noticed candy on your do not include...is this new? Previous years candy has been on the idea list (as long as it's not chocolate).
Yes! Little bags are great! And at the meeting I went to a few weeks ago, they announced that they are discouraging candy this year. Apparently a few shipments were discovered by ants before they reached the kids. That being said, OCC will not remove candy this year if it's present in the boxes, but they're moving in the direction of putting candy on the "do not include" list.
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