Operation Christmas Child

Open up a whole new life…
…through the power of a simple gift.

This year, my work is supporting the “Operation Christmas Child” campaign (yey!) where Christmas Shoe Boxes will be collected and delivered to the organisation endorsing the project called Samaritan’s Purse. My link is connected to the Australian site, but this project is also being run in various countries like Germany, Ireland, Netherlands, Canada, USA, UK, Hong Kong, Philippines and New Zealand. Search for it in your country to find out how to get involve. :-)

Operation Christmas Child has changed the lives of children since 1993, bringing joy and hope to children in desperate situations through gift-filled shoe boxes. It provides an opportunity for people to be involved in a simple hands-on project.




Three Ways to Encourage Participation 

1. Inform people they can pack a shoe box (or more) on their own, or as a group.
2. Allow people to donate items to contribute towards a shoe box (that are allowed and that will fit the dimensions of the shoe box). Tell them to send these items to you, clearly stating which age group and gender those gifts are suited for.
3. Let people donate money for the purchasing of the boxes and/or the cost of delivery. It will help create gift boxes for donated items as mentioned above. Excess cash can be donated to the organisation or used to buy more gifts.



How To Pack Your Shoe Box
 

1. Find an empty shoe box (approx 15 x 27 x 11cm). If the top of the lid of the shoe box is smaller than an A4 paper, the box will be suitable. Gift wrap the lid and box separately. Or purchase the official gift box for approximately 50cents (see photo above).

2. Determine if a boy or girl will receive your gifts. Select the age of the child (2-4 years, 5-9 years, or 10-14 years). Label your box. Include a special note for your child in the box.

3. Fill your shoe box with one or more items from each ‘something’:

3.1 SOMETHING TO LOVE - e.g. teddy bear, doll, soft toy, etc.
3.2 SOMETHING FOR SCHOOL – e.g. exercise book, pencil case, pens, pencils, colouring pencils, sharpener, eraser, chalk, etc.

3.3 SOMETHING TO WEAR – e.g. t-shirt, shorts, underwear, cap, beanie, sandals, thongs, etc.
3.4 SOMETHING TO PLAY WITH – e.g. tennis ball, cars, skipping rope, marbles, musical instrument, yo-yo, slinky, finger puppets, wind up torch, etc. (No battery operated items)*
3.5 SOMETHING FOR PERSONAL HYGIENE – e.g. soap and face washer, toothbrush, hairbrush, comb, hair-clips, scrunchies, etc.(No toothpaste)*
3.6 SOMETHING SPECIAL – e.g. carry bag, sunglasses, bangles, necklaces, craft kits, stickers, note or photo of yourself.

4. Make sure your gift box with the $9 donation (if not donated online) is dropped at one of the drop off points before October. Your $9 donation covers all project costs including staffing, warehousing and shipping in Australia and New Zealand to our receiving countries.

* Further information can also be downloaded in PDF version, available online - click here..

More Information

What gift items would you suggest for the different age groups?
It’s helpful to ask parents with children of these ages, but suggestion are:

2-4 years old: would especially love safe soft toys (no buttons that could be bitten off or cause choking); face washers, soap, toothbrush; but no small hard lollies, marbles or anything that could cause choking;

5-9 years old: would especially love school supplies, toothbrushes, toys such as dolls, balls, toy cars; mind-stimulating items such as solar calculators and musical instruments, paper and pencils; thongs, hats and/or T-shirts

10-14 years old: would be similar to the 5-9 years old, but are also ready for more challenging activities and craft items; girls would especially enjoy pretty dress-up items like hair clips and bangles, boys would especially love active games and gadgets as part of a varied box.

Where will the boxes be sent?
Over 8 million children around the world received shoe boxes last year. This year the boxes from Australia will be sent to South East Asia and the Asia Pacific region.

Please Note:

If we are in the same city, and you have new/unused gifts to spare, but not packing your own gift boxes, feel free to send them to me (by Monday 26th September). I was approved to endorse this at work and I am coordinating the drive so it will definitely be joined with other gifts. I will make sure that together they get sent to at least another child. Thank you :-)).

In Love In Napoli

An unforgettable story.

(Sharing one of my many fondest travel memories....)

It was summertime. A beautiful weekend morning. Perfect weather. I decided to be more adventurous and catch the bus from Torre Del Greco to Naples City Centre, instead of the suburban train called Vesuviana. I was told it was only one bus ride away, but I had to walk a different route to go to the bus stop. It appealed to the explorer in me, seeing the city from a different perspective, doing what I thought some locals would do. So off I went.

I got a little lost, but my basic Italian phrases and hand-flinging gestures (the Italian way of course) while I explained what I was trying to do eventually took me to the right stop, and with a cheaper transport ticket already bought from the tabacchi (local tobacco shop that sells many other items aside from smokes). I also found out that the bus I was waiting for did not run on weekends, but the other bus (the only bus that ran on weekends in the area) would still take me closer to the city.

Unfazed, I jumped into the first bus that arrived, beamed a smile to the driver and stated, "Bongiourno, Napoli Centrale per favore". He said something I didn't understand, I shook my head while I tried some more Italian phrases, he looked at me, then gestured me in. Success! I thought... ;-).

A few minutes later, the driver called me over, pointed to the other side of the main road and said something too fast and romantic for my ears to comprehend. But I quickly understood that he was telling me to catch the bus from there to go to my destination. Thankfully, between my non-existent Spanish language knowledge and "learn as I go" Italian, I actually worked out the bus numbers he mentioned. I thanked him and got off.

I did not wait long for the second bus. The same introduction happened between me and this driver (flashed a smile while I said "Napoli Centrale per favore", he replied, I didn't understand, he gestured me in). This was a longer bus ride. I soaked in the scenery and really saw suburbia. Some of the older locals conversed with me - they spoke broken English, I spoke broken Italian. It was so much fun!

At a busy intersection, the bus stopped where almost all passengers got off. The driver called me over again, told me it was my stop (I thought) or asked me to get off. I did not get any more directions. I strained my ears to hear numbers from the driver but nothing came out. So I alighted confused, asked a few bystanders for directions but no one could or wanted to help.

I was looking around trying to work out what to do when I noticed an old man calling me over with his hand. He had a typical casual look I imagined Italian grandfathers to be. He was leaning on a wooden cane, his back bent with age (past 75 years I thought), but still had a dignified or proud look about him. He was wearing a cream hat (hair neatly combed underneath), light-coloured short sleeve shirt, dark slacks, both top and pants neatly-ironed, and polished shoes. He looked debonair-ish.

I walked up to him and leaned my head closer, as I expected him to talk to me. Instead he took my hand and placed it on top of his arm, took me with him, and we crossed straight through the middle of the intersection! He was so old and frail that we walked at a snail's pace, his feet barely lifting from the ground, his cane always only a few inches forward. All the cars, mopeds and buses beeped but avoided us! He didn't seem to care so I entrusted my life to him, as he brought me to the other side of the road. I think it took us 3-5 minutes to cross a path that would have taken me 10 seconds to cross alone.

I felt love for the old man :-). Even though it would have been faster if he just pointed to where I should go, I loved that he decided to walk there with me. It was very sweet of him. It was an unforgettable experience to be in our own world while vehicles around us swerved and gave us space. I did not feel scared. I'm pretty sure I was even smiling, as I recalled some moped riders smiled back at me/us.

Our journey together eventually ended. I was about to thank him, when he spoke to someone in Italian. He was so chivalrous he also made sure that someone in the crowd could make sure I caught the right bus. I thanked him profusely. I kept saying "molte grazie" and thank you. He just smiled softly/shyly, gestured with his hand it was nothing, and simply replied, "prego". Then he turned around to continue his journey.

I was speechless.... He started crossing the road again - slowly - with everyone else avoiding him again, back to where we came from! I thought he at least planned to go to my side of the road too!

It was then, that very moment, when I fell in love with the old man :-)))).

He swept me off my feet and took a piece of my heart with him. A most heart-touching random act of kindness. His gestures were gallant, taking it upon himself to help a damsel in (di)stress. Personally leading me to where I needed to be. The effort it took (time and energy), when he could have just pointed it to me. The fact that he bothered. The fact that he made sure I did not have to ask further. He gave me protection, safety and security. I was so teary-eyed from happiness/gratefulness. I glowed with love I'm sure as the lady he spoke to, whom guided me straight to Napoli Centrale, kept nodding and beaming a smile back when I pointed to my noble knight. I think she understood what I was going through. I wanted to hug the old man, and kiss him on the cheeks. I wanted to take a photo of him. But to reach for my camera felt like it was going to ruin the moment. So I watched him walk further away from me, in slow-motion while people buzzed around him, until the bus arrived. A tiny part of me in disbelief, but a huge part wonderfully grateful for the "romance". ;-)

Help

This week I was made aware of my alleged "inability to ask for help". I'm not talking about "little help" like being taught how to cook carrot and lentils soup (so easy, but yet to make, hahah!) or asking how to tackle a task at work. Those are more like favours or gifts, like asking someone to wait for you because you are going to be late; getting a ride home; or being invited for dinner and getting fed home-cooked meals.

I was reminded by some friends that I could/should have asked them when I needed "big help" such as borrowing a car and asking another person to move my things to my new place. Or to call someone when I needed a friend instead of toughing it out alone. They knew I am more than capable; but I should not and do not need (to pretend) to be, or work hard, at being tough. I helped other people but I do not let other people know when there is a chance to help me back.

I don't think this is fully true, but I understood what they meant. I have thought about this a lot too, and noticed I did/do have a tendency to do things on my own, or silently. Main reasons were:

1. I did not want to be a burden
Everyone has problems, and never-ending tasks to do. A part of me felt if I asked for help it took people away from other tasks in their lives they also needed to do. So even if it was a little bit (okay, also a lot) harder or longer, since I was able, there was no reason why I could not undertake them on my own.

2. I was embarrassed to ask for help
Weakness was something I pushed against as I grew up to survive as well as to improve my life and surroundings. I remember truly disliking being helpless, so I took actions to not be in the same position again. In general, I was also uncomfortable explaining why I needed the help, as I needed to keep my privacy. To ask for help meant the possibility of revealing my situation at the time.

3. A sense of achievement
The combination of number 2 and the feeling of satisfaction from seeing the results of my hardwork made me happy and grateful. As I gained more life skills, I guess I became more confident and proud. Pride then I guess made me think, since I was no longer helpless, and I seemed to cope well on my own anyway, there was no reason for me bother and burden other people with my troubles.

4. Things got done faster or better
I felt I really had the knack to fix a lot of my problems and reached most of my goals. Plus I helped other people to achieve their goals too.

5. I did not want to deal with disappointment and let down
I had many disappointments from other people (didn't we all!). We all know the pain of being let down especially by the people we trusted the most, and our kindness being abused (or taken for granted) by those who were more takers than givers. I had also been placed in problematic situations by people who did not deliver the help as promised. So to obtain desired outcomes, the only way I thought I could guarantee ending the problems was by me doing the work myself (which pointed back to number 4).

6. Accepted the pretence or change of heart
People don't know (of course!) that when I asked for help, it was really uncomfortable for me but I admitted to needing it. I had made a few mistakes of assuming someone was truly willing to help (even declared it loudly to me), but it was not really in their hearts to do so. Or they were really more focused on their own life. Or their relationships with other people were more important to them (than with me). Fast forward, they faded away from the picture.

HOWEVER, in spite of all that, I was blessed with wonderful people, whom with their help made it possible for me to be where I am now - with all my experiences and in my current situation. Examples are abundant and most generous:

- a friend deposited and left a lot of money in my account while I was overseas to lessen the interests charged and to avoid bank penalties on a debt that was under my name
- friends welcomed me and let me live in their house for free for several months while I resettled
- a friend force-fed me when I could not eat after the death of a family member
- a friend offered to buy a real estate property with me (most of the downpayment not mine, but I still would own half) to get me back on track financially or to kickstart my investments
- a friend told me to go home (willing to pay for my ticket without asking me if I needed it, as long as I knew I could get out) when I was in my "dark moments"
- a friend picked me up at the airport after midnight at short notice, after I chose to visit my friend's country again instead of going home
- friends made sure the big car was available to help move to my stuff, and bought a bedframe for my new place (the one before where I am now)
- friends secured and stored stuff I unintentionally left overseas, even though they probably did not have much space in their homes
- a friend/colleague offered to negotiate with the bank for me to get the same interest rate (higher than advertised) my friend is getting on cash investments (my friend has bargaining power with the bank, lots of investments and strong relationship)

A special mention, when I had no choice but to need help - six strangers took good care of me when I was detained, and made sure I was treated well while I was under their care (one of them even defended me when I was about to leave, from someone who assumed the reasons I was held, and ensured that that someone understood the situation). I remember only two names from their group, but my interactions with all of them imbedded in my memories.

I am most grateful to their selfless giving - people at work, the people I met through the years, and to my best friends. They wanted to help even when I didn't ask, or they didn't have a lot to offer. They gave when I needed the help the most. No begging, no explanations, all out of kindness. Because of them I became more comfortable to admit my weakness and my needs. I did not accept a lot of help offered but it was humbling, touching and relieving to be given them as options. Thank you. Even the words "thank you" does not feel enough to convey how much I appreciated what they've all done for me and this lesson they made me learn.

...I know there are many people out there like me. It is good to be you, keep up the good work. Just be mindful of how far you (unnecessarily) push yourself. This year especially, I have been made aware that it is okay to yield instead of fight life's hardships and trials. Be very responsible, celebrate your achievements, but allow yourself to admit needing help. Don't be afraid to take a chance on people. You do not have to carry your world alone on your shoulder. For every five or ten people that will disappoint, many more or one will satisfy or please you, and make you happy you asked for help.