Opportunities to GIVE

“For it is in GIVING that we RECEIVE…”

– St. Francis of Assisi

OUR LADY QUEEN OF HEAVEN SCHOOL 

HAS 2 OPPORTUNITIES TO GIVE!

THANKSGIVING FOOD BASKETS                                     Collection Week November 5-9

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 members of our community.  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 5-9.  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, macaroni & cheese, pork & beans, grits, oatmeal, canned or powdered milk, kool-aid, canned vegetables, tomato products, canned fruit and baby food.

OPERATION CHRISTMAS CHILD                                  Collection Week November 12-16

Second, as a SCHOOL-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 13 years, the OLQH CUB SCOUTS have participated in OPERATION CHRISTMAS CHILD. Nine 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 almost 6000 packed shoeboxes!!! THAT IS WONDERFUL!!!!  Last year, we missed our goal of 800 by quite a bit…with 551 shoeboxes being collected. SO LET’S WORK REALLY HARD THIS YEAR TO GET CLOSER TO OUR GOAL! But remember, 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 & SCOUT 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. If you need more information you can click on the RELIGIOUS INTERACTIVE link on the OLQHS website. A list of sites, including the OPERATION CHRISTMAS CHILD site will be linked. You can also view videos about how these simple gifts make amazing differences in the lives of these children. Please remember to include the $9 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. 

CHANGES THIS YEAR: NO CANDY OR TOOTHPASTE ALLOWED IN THE 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-YOUR-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, Peru and Russia! Be sure to tell Mrs. Tanner where your boxes go so that she can add it to our map of places OLQHS had touched. 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 12-16, 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.