We hope that you and your family have had a wonderful and blessed Spring, Summer and Fall since we last posted at Easter. We are preparing this month to start up our daily posts during the Advent & Christmas Seasons so please check back with us starting on November 30.
Until then, I would like to tell you and your family about some wonderful OPPORTUNITIES TO GIVE in which our OLQHS community is participating.
First, in an effort to help the needy of our parish, we will put together our traditional Thanksgiving Baskets. We would appreciate all the support and help you can give in order to enrich the holiday season for these needy people. Remember the call of the Gospel which reminds us to share freely with the poor what we have been freely given. Collection week for Thanksgiving Baskets will be November 10-14 and all donations may be brought to the school. Thank you for your on-going generosity! Examples of items to bring for the food drive are: potted meat, peanut butter, dried beans, rice, pasta products, instant potatoes, Vienna sausages, sugar, flour, canned tuna, canned soup, mac & cheese, pork & beans, grits, oatmeal, canned or powdered milk, kool-aid, canned vegetables, tomato products, canned fruit and baby food.
Second, as a SCHOOL-WIDE and PARISH-WIDE project, OLQHS will participate in a program that stretches across the world and reaches many people in need.
Since 1993, OPERATION CHRISTMAS CHILD has been sending packed Christmas shoeboxes to children all over the world. For the past 7 years, the OLQH students & scouts have participated in OPERATION CHRISTMAS CHILD. Four years ago, we extended an invitation to the students and school community to participate in this amazing program. Over the years, the OLQH School Community has donated over 3000 packed shoeboxes!!! THAT IS WONDERFUL!!!! Each box is 1 child that knows he or she is loved…each box is 1 child that knows someone is praying for them…each box is 1 child that will experience God’s Love through your generosity.
This year, we hope to see the program grow even more… to make this the
LARGEST COLLECTION WEEK of our OLQHS~OPERATION CHRISTMAS CHILD history!!! EACH
STUDENT will receive a SPECIAL OPERATION
CHRISTMAS CHILD Shoebox to fill. In each shoebox will be a brochure
explaining the program, a prayer card bookmark and an ALL ABOUT ME page. Parishioners, and those who what to do multiple boxes, can use whatever shoebox they would like. If you need more information you can click on
the link for
OPERATION CHRISTMAS CHILD in the LINKS listed to the right...or on the school's RELIGIOUS INTERACTIVE page. You can view videos
about how these simple gifts make amazing differences in the lives of these
children. Please remember to include the $7 shipping fee with each shoebox. You
CAN pack additional shoeboxes and you can use regular shoeboxes or plastic
containers. Plastic snap containers that are about the same size as a shoebox
are an EXCELLENT additional gift. The family that receives it can use the
plastic boxes to keep grains safe or to collect water. You can even have a
PACKING PARTY where a group gets together and packs MULTIPLE boxes.
Tracking Your Boxes or Letter of Thanks
On the Operation Christmas Child website, you can print out special labels that allow you to TRACK-YOU-BOX. The company will send you an email shortly after your box is delivered telling you in what country a special child received your gift. In years past, boxes from OLQHS have gone to Benin, Kenya, Tunisia, Madagascar, Ghana, China, India, Belize and Russia! Sometimes, people receive very moving THANK YOU letters from the children that received their shoeboxes. This is such a special treat! If you receive a thank you letter or if you track your box, could you please let Mrs. Tanner know? She is keeping a scrapbook that plots how many countries we reach over time. She is including in this scrapbook copies of thank you letters received.
Collection Week for the shoeboxes is NOVEMBER 17-20, but you can start packing and bringing them in now. Students that pack shoeboxes will receive either a sticker or a balloon when they turn in their packed shoebox.
