I had a friend offer me a couple small toys the other day for my grandkids. There was a small teddy bear, a ginormous pencil, and another small toy. My grandkids received so many gifts for Christmas, they really didn't need anything else, so here's the suggestion I made to her:
Throughout the year we come across small items such as these on almost a monthly basis. It's not uncommon for us to find items left behind in our storage units, or to find brand new toys at garage sales. I have a trunk in the back of my closet that I began storing things in this fall. At Christmas time our church participates in Operation Christmas Child and I was able to put quite a few things I already had into two different shoeboxes. Another item I read about including is soap bars and I must have at least a half dozen bars I've brought home from hotels. My plan this year is to just keep adding to my trunk throughout the year, so that next year at Christmas I can do even more shoeboxes.
They seemed to think it was a good idea.
4 comments:
good call!
thanks!
One of the people who went to Argentina to distribute shoeboxes this season said that the children seemed disinterested with the toys but really appreciated the face cloths and soap & toothpaste, and I've read elsewhere, many many times, about children very excitedly comparing their toothbrushes. However, do be sure to have the soap & toothpaste wrapped TWICE in plastic baggies -- or else their impart their strong odor to the hard candy which then becomes inedible.
This year I am concentrating upon school supplies, toiletries, underwear, face cloths. I only do the 10-14 year olds because that's the age they really need more shoeboxes for. The boy boxes each get a deflated soccer ball and ball pump, and the girls have a Barbie doll -- but elsewise, I'm not spending money on all the miscellaneous "little" toys I used to stock up on.
Thanks for the tips, I greatly appreciate them!
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