Shoe box gifts to have Christian message, sponsors say

Shoe box gifts to have Christian message, sponsors say
Operation Christmas Child done so children will know 'true meaning'

The chief of Samaritan's Purse has confirmed to WND that the organization's "Operation Christmas Child" program to distribute shoe box gifts to children around the world is Christian and will continue to carry a Christian message.

"This project is not merely a Christmas gift distribution project – every shoe box gift is given in the name of Jesus Christ in order that children around the world might know the true meaning of Christmas," Franklin Graham said in a statement provided to WND following a request for an explanation.

The comment was requested since just a few days earlier, an official, Barbara Hill, for the organization in the United Kingdom told reporters that no Christian literature, pamphlets or messages were allowed – in case the package would go to a part of the world where it might offend Muslims.

"Anything we find in the boxes which has a religious nature will be removed," Hill said. "If a box was opened by a Muslim child in a Muslim country they may be offended so we try to avoid religious images."

Graham said in his statement that since 1993, Operation Christmas Child has collected and distributed more than 46 million shoe box gifts to underprivileged children in about 130 nations. More than 150,000 people have volunteered in 11 nations that send packages, he said, making it truly worldwide.

But he said, "Samaritan's Purse is unashamedly a Christian organization and Operation Christmas Child is a distinctively Christian kid's project."

"Samaritan's Purse is working closely with its offices around the world to ensure consistency of practices and implementation of this and all projects it conducts. While certain governments and customs present challenges to this project, Samaritan's Purse has always provided unconditional aid in concert with its Christian message and purpose," Graham said.

"We work in cooperation with local churches and organizations to distribute the shoe box gifts – an estimated eight million this Christmas – and offer gospel literature to recipient children. This practice will never cease," he said.

Officials said the media report from the United Kingdom uncovered a practice that is "inconsistent with the global mission, policies, and practices of Operation Christmas Child and Samaritan's Purse, the international Christian relief organization which has conducted the annual Christmas project for the past 13 years."

The earlier report in the Daily Mail questioned why a Christian group should consider eliminating its religious message from a program.

The boxes generated in the United Kingdom, estimated at more than one million this year, will be going to children in Azerbaijan, Armenia, Romania, Serbia, Sudan and Mozambique, several of which do have strong Islamic influences, officials said.

The organization's policy also is to not make receiving a gift dependant upon receiving any literature.

The organization's website suggests to donors that they use a standard size shoe box or small plastic container with a lid and fill it with small cars, balls, dolls, stuffed animals, kazoos, harmonicas, yo-yos, jump ropes, toys that light up or make noise (with extra batteries), school supplies from picture books and solar calculators to pens and crayons, hygiene items such as toothbrushes, hard candy, gum, T-shirts, socks, sunglasses, toy jewelry and other items.

Samaritan's Purse recommends enclosing your name and address, and possibly a photo, because the recipient may write to you.

Items that should NOT be included are used or damaged items, war-related toys such as guns, chocolate or food, liquids, medications and breakable items such as snowglobes, the group said.

The current collections for this year's distributions are going on right now.