William Penn Life, 1999 (34. évfolyam, 2-12. szám)
1999-05-01 / 5. szám
Operation Christmas Child Hope in a CAN YOU IMAGINE your children or grandchildren waking up on Christmas morning without any expectation that Santa has delivered those toys they've wanted so much? For millions of children around the world, that's exactly how Christmas will be this year. At least it would be, were it not for Operation Christmas Child. Operation Christmas Child sends a message of hope to children in desperate situations in crisis areas around the world through gift-filled shoe boxes, relief aid and Christian literature. Operation Christmas Child began its mission in 1990 in Great Britain. In 1993, the project was adopted by Samaritan's Purse, an international Christian relief organization based in Boone, N.C., and headed by Franklin Graham, son of evangelist Billy Graham. The gift-filled shoe boxes are prepared by children and parents across the United States, Canada, Great Britain, Germany, Australia and the Netherlands. In 1998, more than 2.3 million shoe boxes were collected internationally, with more than half coming from the U.S. They were processed by more than 19,000 volunteers and sent to children in 56 countries. More than 62,000 boxes were sent to Hungarian children. shoe box [OUp Tovs- r,tin9 Dan kers-Ü2Í!» etc. It's easy to get lost in the numbers, but the success of Operation Christmas Child lies in its simplicity and personal touch. Every shoe box is unique, every box an expression of love from a child who will probably never meet the grateful recipient. A typical shoe box contains small toys, school supplies, hygiene items, hard candy, and perhaps a T-shirt, books, a cap or other personal item. All the items are new and can survive shipping; chocolate, liquids of any kind, used items, medicines, and glass items are prohibited. Operation Christinas Child provides an opportunity for WPA HYGIENE ITEMS: toothbrush, toothpaste, soap, washcloth, comb, brush,etc. OTHER: hard candy, gum, ball caps, socks, T-shirt, hair clips, small picture books, sunglasses, etc. members and branches to reach out to needy children around the world. By creating and sending your giftfilled shoe boxes, you'll experience the satisfaction of knowing you provided joy and hope to hurting children. To get your branch, church or school involved, contact the WPA Home Office for more information, or get in touch with Samaritan's Purse (see below). [\yp| | William Penn Lite, May 1999 3 The Impact: "On the night before Christmas Eve, I was hoping that I might receive a Christmas present the next day, even though I knew that it probably wouldn't happen. I thought that I would pray about getting a Christmas gift, but I realized I didn't even know who I was praying to. The next morning was Christmas morning and you came with gifts. The best thing was that you told me who I was praying to. It was as if you had read my thoughts and they became real. Thank you!" — Statement from a nine-yearold boy living in an orphanage for street kids in Kiev, Ukraine. Charity Links For more information about Operation Christmas Child and how you can help, contact our Home Office or contact: O Samaritan’s Purse P. O. Box 3000 Boone, NC 28607 Phone: (828) 262-1980 Fax: (828) 266-1058 http://www.samaritan.org/
