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Operation Christmas Child


Chatty

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http://www.samaritanspurse.org/index.php/OCC/

 

Our church has been doing this for several years now and this past Christmas sent out 270 boxes. This year the goal has been set for 500 boxes and we're going to be collecting stuff all year round for it.

 

This year I volunteered to crochet scarves for the boxes and a lady gave me a bag with an old granny square afghan in it that I'm unraveling to recycle the yarn into scarves.

 

I don't know if anyone else does this, but I think it's a very worthy cause. I don't know if I'll get 500 scarves made, but I'm going to try to get our congregation to donate their yarn scraps towards this (or just donate yarn period) and hopefully I'll have enough to do a fair number of scarves.

 

If any crocheter out there would like to help, pm me and I'll give you my home address to either send in a scarf or two or just send me your leftover yarn that you don't know what to do with. All donated yarn will be stored away just for this project even if I don't use it all this year, I can use it for other years as I don't see us not continuing to do this.

 

It would be best to make them out of acrylic as these are going to children who have nothing and would need to be washable.

 

They don't have to be anything fancy, just something for a child that can be rolled up and tucked into a shoebox with some other goodies. Hats or gloves/mittens would also be appreciated.

 

I live in the US, so US crocheters are welcome, it would probably be cost-prohibitive for international crocheters unless they don't mind the cost of shipping.

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Have you checked with OCC to make sure you CAN put in the scarves? My dd has worked at one of distribution centers and their job is to go through all the boxes and take OUT what is not supposed to be in there and make sure what is supposed to be in there is.

 

I think it's a great idea, but a child in Indonesia or Brazil may not much need a scarf in the jungle.

 

http://www.samaritanspurse.org/index.php/OCC/

 

Our church has been doing this for several years now and this past Christmas sent out 270 boxes. This year the goal has been set for 500 boxes and we're going to be collecting stuff all year round for it.

 

This year I volunteered to crochet scarves for the boxes and a lady gave me a bag with an old granny square afghan in it that I'm unraveling to recycle the yarn into scarves.

 

I don't know if anyone else does this, but I think it's a very worthy cause. I don't know if I'll get 500 scarves made, but I'm going to try to get our congregation to donate their yarn scraps towards this (or just donate yarn period) and hopefully I'll have enough to do a fair number of scarves.

 

If any crocheter out there would like to help, pm me and I'll give you my home address to either send in a scarf or two or just send me your leftover yarn that you don't know what to do with. All donated yarn will be stored away just for this project even if I don't use it all this year, I can use it for other years as I don't see us not continuing to do this.

 

It would be best to make them out of acrylic as these are going to children who have nothing and would need to be washable.

 

They don't have to be anything fancy, just something for a child that can be rolled up and tucked into a shoebox with some other goodies. Hats or gloves/mittens would also be appreciated.

 

I live in the US, so US crocheters are welcome, it would probably be cost-prohibitive for international crocheters unless they don't mind the cost of shipping.

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Have you checked with OCC to make sure you CAN put in the scarves? My dd has worked at one of distribution centers and their job is to go through all the boxes and take OUT what is not supposed to be in there and make sure what is supposed to be in there is.

 

I think it's a great idea, but a child in Indonesia or Brazil may not much need a scarf in the jungle.

 

 

I wondered about this as well. My husband and I do the shoeboxes every year, so this is a charity I do support.

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I have worked in one of the distribution centers for several years now and can tell you that the scarves, gloves and hats are all allowed. The things that you are asked to remove are liquids (that could spill), chocolates (melt), medicines (not allowed to be imported) and things like that. I also believe that wherever the scarves, gloves and hats are sent, the children who receive them will be grateful to have them and they will have a use for them. One year the boxes our youth group worked on processing went to Russia so hats, scarves and gloves/mittens would have very welcome. I say follow your heart, let God work out the details!

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I did this for the first time this year thru a friend. I plan to continue doing it. I didn't think about putting my own crochet hats and scarves in. I will do that this year, and try to send you some items also.

Debbie

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  • 2 weeks later...

Thanks everyone. I'm just getting back to this after almost a week away and a few days recuperating from a very long road trip. My mother passed away almost two weeks ago and I went to her memorial. She's at rest now, and Daddy let me have the extra scarves after everyone got what they wanted, so four of her scarves will be going to needy children somewhere, which-as my dad said-will tickle her pink since she almost always gave away whatever she crocheted. He also said it would tickle him pink too, to see them go to someone who needs them.

 

If anyone doesn't have a place to donate to OCC, I'll continue to take donations of yarn or scarves/hats, just PM me and I'll give you my address.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Thanks guys. Yes, she would be very thrilled to know her extra scarves went to children who needed them. I'll take donations wherever they come from, just pm me for my address.

 

I'll be speaking in front of our church this morning and since I can choose what testimony to give I'm going to promote the scarves/hats and challenge the other crocheters (I know of at least three others who are regular members) to make them too and challenge the others to donate yarn. Wish me luck, I don't normally speak like that in front of a crowd.

 

I've already completed at least 22 scarves and ten hats.

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What size are you making the scarves? A charity another time was asking for 4"x44"-45" for children. I don't think the width matters so much but seems like a good length?

 

bailey

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Yes, I'm making them between 4-5 inches wide and around 4 ft long. There is no set width/length, as long as they can be put in the box with the other stuff.

 

The ages of the children will range from 2-14, I believe, in three age groups.

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  • 1 month later...
  • 8 months later...

Thank you all who donated scarves/hats to this, we ended up with almost 600 boxes, though not sure how many got scarves, I do know we had lots of them.

 

I will continue doing this for next year too, we collect things all year round with so many boxes to fill.

 

Again, many thanks to those who helped

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