What's next at the Farm?
The Farm Fall Party in the barn had been so much fun!
Within a few days the barn was cleaned, tables and 45 chairs were stacked, the roasting pans, serving platters and dishes all done, tablecloths were taken downstairs to be washed and the decorations all organized and put away.
It was Nov. 1, 2019, I knew exactly what big project was up next at the farm.
Time to Give...
Over the years, during Christmas time, our family has enjoyed giving to some kind of charity.
I’m sure you are familiar with choosing a name from tags on a Christmas Tree, sponsoring a family with groceries or gifts, toys for tots etc., we had chosen a different one each year.
.
Can't Forget that Boy...
One year I chose a family through a local YMCA.
The mom had 2 children.
There was a short list of needs, and a few wants for the kids.
This time was going to be very special because I was allowed to personally deliver the gifts to the family.
Arranging to meet her at their apartment when the kids weren’t home, I arrived on Christmas Eve.
Introducing myself and starting to bring in the groceries I, noticed she had a simple tree with a few ornaments…no gifts under the tree at all.
As I came in a few times with the brightly wrapped packages…she was quiet with a little smile.
She kept thanking me and I told her how much fun it was to buy some of the things she had on the list.
As we were arranging the presents around the tree, in comes a teenage boy around 16 years old, he had on a McDonalds uniform.
I just stood there dumb founded…she had not put his name on the list.
Only her two little kids.
It was Christmas Eve, I couldn’t move or talk.
I was absolutely devastated that this young man would have nothing under the tree.
I cried all the way home. That was years ago.
Promising myself I would never pick a family and take a chance of that happening again.
Shoeboxes in the Hall...
The church that we had been going to for a while was promoting a Christmas Missions program that I was unfamiliar with.
By the back door, there were shoeboxes stacked up in a corner. Some where wrapped in Christmas paper.
What's the Deal?
After a few questions were answered, I learned the shoeboxes were filled with small toys, school supplies, clothes etc., everything was to be brand new.
The shoeboxes were being collected and distributed all over the world, in areas of severe poverty, weather disasters, war etc.
That week I took the list of suggested items to Walmart and bought some of the items.
Pulling a couple of shoeboxes from the closet, I started fitting in the items like a puzzle…trying to fit something into every nook and cranny!
For many years our family would pack shoebox gifts.
Some for girls and some
years for boys.
Why Not Call...
One year I found out that you could go to a warehouse and help with the final inspection of the shoeboxes before they were shipped overseas.
Wow that big “project” was right down my alley!
At that time there were 4 or 5 locations across the country.
My mind starting spinning, for some reason I couldn’t stop thinking about it.
One of the locations was in Denver.
I live in Northern Illinois and there was a direct flight from Rockford to Denver!
Where would I get the money for the flight? I could use my husbands frequent flyer miles…
There were only so many spots available to “inspect” the shoeboxes.
One day a year, you could call and see it any spots were available for the location you wanted to volunteer at.
Without a second thought..I called the 800 number. Busy signal. Later I called Busy… several times, still busy.
Oh well it wasn’t’ meant to be.
I actually tried the next year with the same result.
What's a Packing Party?
Some people at church were going to get together and pack a bunch of shoeboxes!
They needed help to set up… I kind of got choked up thinking about it.
Finally, I would get a little taste of what other people put in their shoebox gifts and the process afterwards.
Huge tables were being set up, bags of school supplies, toys, clothes, etc were being sorted.
An assembly line of sorts was being organized.
We sorted the donated items into categories.
Dream Big...
The “packing party” was so much fun.
Families and other volunteers, went around the room filling shoeboxes with everything from pencils to sandals.
The next day, shopping at our local grocery store, I saw one of the ladies from our church that I had met at the packing party.
I told her how much I enjoyed it and my dream of working at the distribution center….
What she said next…is burned into my memory.
Oh, you want to go to the distribution center?
I know this guy that knows a girl who goes there with a church group every year.
Do you want me to call him tonight?
She said “I think they are going for three days, up to Minnesota…NEXT WEEK!
I drove home in a blur.
What is happening? What are the chances?
Minnesota? Three days…in a hotel. I don’t have money for food and hotel.
The next morning, I received a phone call from a church 45 minutes away from my house.
She said, I could ride with their group in the church van, and room with two other ladies in the hotel…no cost to me.
Lunch and dinner are paid for, with free breakfast at the hotel.
If I could be at the church at 5:30 in the morning, three days from now, I was welcome to join them.
All I could say was….I’ll be there.
On the Road...
After riding in a van full of nice people I didn’t know, for 5 hours, we arrived at the warehouse.
I was so emotional! Hardly believing that I was really here.
Watching huge projects being built, factory mass production, also things like decorating the White House in one weekend, cleaning the entire Disney World park in 3 hours at night…I couldn’t get enough of it, lol!
This was one of the main reasons I wanted to go, to see how these boxes got from the person who packed them…to the child that receives them…but I also struggled with a few things.
I actually prayed this prayer…Lord please don’t let me try to reorganize or talk about how the assembly lines could be more efficient (like I want to do at every garage sale or craft sale I go to, lol!)
Distribution Center...
Walking into the warehouse,
…there were over 300 volunteers working together for the first time, with minimal directions.
It looked like they had worked there for years…it was so efficient, there was Christmas music playing everywhere.”’
Everyone was laughing and singing and working…to me it looked like heaven itself.
Cry Baby...
At my station, the job was to check through the box, open any envelopes (looking for a a form with information about the donor and money they sent for shipping costs)
Some people put their picture or a letter in the envelope.
One picture was of a young couple and their dog.
The note said how much fun she had shopping for everything in the shoebox, this was a picture of her, her husband and her seeing eye dog!
I just lost it… I cried for my entire five hour shift.
…realizing these boxes are going to real kids who are hurting.
A tangible gift from a stranger, in the name of Jesus, to show them God knows and loves them.
Blessings...
The second day, there was an announcement over the speaker that a shipping container was full.
If you wanted to pray for the safe arrival of the shoeboxes, the volunteers distributing the shoeboxes over seas, and the children receiving them, you could head over now.
What? I seriously couldn’t hold it together.
I watched from around the corner, men with their hands on the boxes, praying over them.
Life Changing...
The third day there was an announcement over the speaker…if you would like to find out about volunteering for Operation Christmas Child year round, come to the office.
Asking for permission to leave my station, I went to the office.
There was a nice gal that asked me a few questions, trying to see what role would be a good fit.
Eggy...
I was crying, trying to tell her the story of how I got there and could hardly talk.
She said “ You go back to your station and I’m going to come and get you after you settle down some”
A couple hours later…she pulled me off the assembly line and went to the office.
She said “ My name is Eggy, we are going to be good friends”
This is Eggy …she is still a dear friend to me all these years later
Close to my Heart
As the years have gone by, I have been to the processing center many, many times.
Usually, organizing three day trips for local people to experience this wonder.
Serving as Northern Illinois Area Coordinator…
I’ve made life long friends, here is Serena, Tiltyla and Marcia.
Worked with sweet friends from church.
I’ve been to International Conventions
Meeting volunteers from all over the world that help get the shoeboxes to the kids.
Still a Part of My Life...
Even though, I no longer volunteer year round for Operation Christmas Child…it is still in my heart and life.
We’ve hosted packing parties at our farm.
My garden club girls have to get in on the fun too.
Another Family Tradition...
All year long I keep my eye out for items to put in our shoebox gifts, collecting as I go.
In November, usually the week before Thanksgiving, you can drop off a shoebox filled with small gifts at a location near your home.
So this week at the Farm, we will be setting up all the supplies that I have bought over the year and the grandkids will be filling the boxes.
Here’s a sweet video of them from last year making a relay line from the basement to the van.
Loading it up to take to a church nearby.
Thank you...
Thank you for sticking with me as I show you my heart in this LONG post.
National Collection Week is : Nov. 14 – 21 2022
There is now a distribution center in the Chicago Suburbs, they always need volunteers during the weekdays.
(They are open from the week of Thanksgiving to the week before Christmas)
If you are interested in filling a shoebox this year or want to learn more about the organization.
Here is a link:https://www.samaritanspurse.org/
Look under the tab: What we do
Join me next time, when I start decorating the farm for Christmas and squeeze Thanksgiving in there somehow, lol!
Fondly, Sandy
Love your ❤️ For OCC. I’m doing the packing center with a neighbor this year. Love that it is so close in Aurora.
I love working at collection centers too.
Hard for us to get away from the farm these days.
I’ll just keep packing my shoeboxes❤️❤️❤️🎄🎄🎄