Packed and Ready to Go

My shoe boxes are packed and ready to go! This year, I was able to put three boxes together. One for a little boy (age 2-4), one for a little girl (age 5-9) and one for an older girl (age 10-14). I'll be taking the boxes to a drop off center this afternoon.

I can hardly imagine how exciting it would be to receive a box like this! It's nice to know you're making someones day a little brighter.

Operation Christmas Child

About 15 years ago (when I was in grade 5 or 6) my friend and I put a shoebox together for “Operation Christmas Child.” It was so long ago, I don't remember our initial motivation-- but I think we did this as a school project. And for years afterwards, (probably until I was in High School) I would receive mail from the organization asking me to donate again. Back then I never did, but I've decided that this year I have both the time and the means to put a few shoe boxes together.

Operation Christmas Child is a program funded by Samaritan's Purse. Each year at Christmas, they do a nation-wide collection of shoe boxes full of toys, and school supplies for children in less developed countries. This year, shoe boxes will be going to Costa Rica, Guatemala, Haiti and Nicaragua in Central America and the Caribbean, Chile, Paraguay, Uruguay and Venezuela in South America and Cote d'Ivoire, Equatorial Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Senegal and Sierra Leone in West Africa.

Although Samaritan's Purse (and therefore Operation Christmas Child) is a non-denominational Christian organization, this does not mean that a child must be of the Christian faith in order to receive a shoe box. Christian literature is not added to your box, and children are not required to take Bible classes in order to receive aid. These shoe boxes are given unconditionally to children of all religion, gender or race.

National Collection Week runs November 15-21, 2010 (i.e. next week). If you'd like to fill a shoe box, I'd be more than happy to deliver it to a collection center for you. Or if you don't have the time to make a shoe box yourself, I'd be more than happy to take a cash donation and make a shoe box on your behalf. Due to my shoe addiction... I have a lot of shoe boxes!

Information on what can and cannot be put in shoe boxes can be found here: http://www.samaritanspurse.ca/occ/PackaBox.aspx

If you have any questions-- go ahead and ask!

Enjoy your weekend!

"Fun" is Her Middle Name

Jill submits to being bingo-stamped.

Jill is turning 26 today, so here's a shout-out to her

I met Jill in May of 2008 when she joined our team at work. Having already spent a year as the youngest member of the team, I was relieved to meet someone who was my age. We worked together for a year and a half before we both moved teams again, and went our separate ways. If you could call it that. We're working four floors apart now, and I still spam her daily.

Here are some things I've learned about Jill over the last couple of years.

1) Jill is easy to be friends with.

Seriously! I'm not sure if I have ever met someone who is so easy-going. Jill once told me, "I don't do drama," and I think this is the reason why she's so easy to be friends with. This leads me to my next point:

2) Jill tells it like it is.

She is so forthcoming and direct that you never have to doubt the sincerity of her response because she'll always tell you what she thinks. If she thinks you're being an idiot, she'll tell you, "I think you're being an idiot."

3) Jill will try anything once.

Sky diving, canyon swinging, zorbing, pottery throwing, volleyball playing. Anything.

4) Jill is a fun-magnet.

If Jill is not having fun, she will find a way to make the situation fun! She has boundless energy.

5) Jill likes country music.

No description of awesomeness needed.

I think meeting Jill all those months ago is one of the best things that could have happened to me. Sometimes you meet people who have an innate ability to change you-- and Jill is one of those people for me. As I've mentioned in previous posts, I am by nature an introvert. So for me to get along with someone as extroverted as Jill is a bit unusual. Without even realizing it, Jill has shown me that it's not so difficult (or scary) to step outside your comfort zone once in a while. And for that reason, I think Jill is a pretty remarkable individual.

Happy Birthday, Ol' Girl!