Operation Christmas (preparing for Christmas 2)

I've decided that the various domestic arts projects that I am doing at the moment should all be written about under the heading of "Preparing for Christmas"...

"Operation Christmas" doesn't refer to the preparations for Christmas in my flathold, although it could well do, but instead to a charity Christmas project which I've found out about just in the nick of time. Operation Christmas Child sends shoeboxes filled with toys and basic toiletries to orphans and vulnerable children living overseas - it started 20 years ago sending to Romania, and now sends to a number of other countries in need. My parents used to organise a church event to send boxes off as part of this when I was growing up, but I had completely forgotten about the scheme until I saw various mentions on twitter and facebook. I was a little frustrated as I would have loved to have organised a collection of shoeboxes at work, and will try to get myself organised to do it next year, but I am in the middle of filling a shoebox myself. After all, I may be trying to keep costs to a minimum this year, but I have still spent far more on people who will have far more spent on them than the children who will be receiving shoeboxes. The principle is very simple - find a shoe box and cover it with Christmas paper, choose sex, and age-group of the child, and then buy some small gifts to fill it with, ideally a mix of hygiene items, toys and educational items, such as pens. They don't have to be expensive and there are plenty of ideas on the site. Once filled, you take it along to a local collection point (several shoe shops in Oxford are participating) and drop it off with a £2.50 donation towards the cost of transporting it to wherever it will go. I would defy anyone not to be moved by the video of children opening their boxes here. The deadline for drop-offs is 18th November, so those in the UK still have time to fill a box too...