As you are all aware, we have supported Operation Christmas Child as a Benefice for quite a few years now. So this year our vicar, Ginni, thought that it would be good to support another, different charity that operates a similar scheme sending boxes to Romania, Moldova, The Ukraine and Bulgaria. As a result of this, our boxes this year will be going to ‘Linked to Hope’ which is a Christian charity based in Sussex.
As usual the concept is very similar. To fill a box you will of course need an empty shoebox (size 8 or similar), an instruction leaflet and some gifts. Empty boxes and leaflets will be available in church or from Christine and Arthur Sibun (tel: 01462-459145), but if you already have your own box, even better! Completed boxes should be returned to church as usual and we will arrange for their onward transportation. (More details to follow next month).
All that you need to do is to follow the instructions on the leaflet. However, there are one or two differences in the way that Linked to Hope does things, so please read the leaflet carefully before you start. You will be very pleased to learn that you no longer have to cover the lid and the box separately with gift wrap, but you just have to wrap up the finished closed box (like a Christmas present) after you have filled it.
The really big difference this year though is that, rather than being for a
child (of a particular age) the boxes are either for a family or for an elderly person. This is all explained in the leaflet (and means that if you do one for
a family, it can still have all of the usual children’s things in it). There is a contents box to tick, which gives guidelines of what can go into your box. This is then attached to the outside of the box to give the organisers an idea of what’s inside and where they can best send it.
Please help us if you can.
Arthur Sibun
