'Operation Christmas Child'

[Noah]

Hey guys,

My school is involved in a charity called 'Operation Christmas Child'. Basically this is a scheme where pupils in our highschool are asked to fill a shoebox with material goods like toys and colouring pencils and sweets and send them off as Christmas presents. Here is a website about it;

http://www.samaritanspurse.uk.com/
http://www.pursestrings.ca/

I'm not sure what to think of it myself. Partly I think i'll make a child happy for Christmas by giving them a little gift.
Another part of me thinks it's pointless because those under-privelaged kids can't live off our Christmas presents forever and once they use the material goods they are back to square one! What needs to happen is a change in the way the countries are being
run or some kind of reform.

I'm not trying to be greedy or not give in a box but it just seems more of a tactical move for the school to look good amongst the UK. I just don't see how this will help under-privelaged children in the long-term. The worst thing is, is that it is an Eve-angelical group that run it called 'Samaritans Purse' and along with the presents they try to evangalize the children and make them Christians.

What do you guys think? Should I give one in or do you think it's pointless?

I'm really not keen on it, see how they don't tell the school-pupils that these under-privelaged kids are asked to change their beliefs in return for some colouring pencils or a pack of Haribo!

Noah.

PS. Sorry if you think this is in the wrong section, wasn't sure which to post it in.

[drain.you]

Hmm...well. It could make children happier, if just for a little while and I think thats a good enough motive to donate things.
My past schools did this kind of thing every year, we used to gather quite alot of stuff together. How much these kids benefit from it, I don't know but at the end of the day, you can try to give them a better life by doing this or you can ignore them.

[Noah]

You wouldn't really be giving them a better life? A pack of pencils, a scarf or a pair of gloves doesn't really give someone a better life. They'll still be living under the same social conditions.

Also Eve-Angelic Christians use this as an opportunity to convert young children to their faith, what right do that have to do that?