[Almost] Wordless Wednesday

Operation Christmas Child.

A frugal shopper's dream charity.

Are you familiar with it? A program sponsored by Samaritan's Purse, collects packed shoe boxes and ships them to the world's needy children, sending them a message of love at Christmas time. I have headed this mission at my local church for four years now, and I must say it is one of my favorite things to do all year! If everyone takes part, it's such little work to make a huge difference. Every year, our church has topped it's collection record, with a donation of 80 boxes and over $400 for 2009! (as you can see above)

Interested? Click the OCC link - it will tell you the do's and don'ts of packing a box, gives you trackable labels to attach to your box and will tell you where to take your donation. But hurry, this is "Collection Week" - so you don't have much time! Though, don't fret, you can always look into it, save all year, and give big next year <---that's where the frugal part comes in. All of those McDonald toys, mailer samples, free toothpastes & toothbrushes from drug store games or dentist visits, re-gifting, new clothes and shoes from garage sales or thrift stores, school supplies in August (when they are a dime a dozen), after holiday hard candy - save it all! You can even as shoe stores to save boxes for you; they are glad to get rid of them.

Basically, you can help this charity for FREE (or very little cost.) Some of these items may not mean much to you, but they may be life changing for another child, in another part of the world.

Won't you show the love this Christmas?

More Wordless Wednesday here and here.