Be honest…who’s started their Christmas shopping yet??!! Here at Fifteen towers we’ve got into the festive spirit early in order to once again support the fantastic Operation Christmas Child (OCC) project organised by the Samaritans Purse. As readers of the Fifteen blog will know, we all love the opportunity to get involved in a good cause but this one has an extra special place in our hearts. As a parent it’s hard to beat that feeling of warmth and love you get when you see your child’s face on Christmas morning. The anticipation the night before and the wonderful traditions that come hand in hand with the festive time of year. The mince pies and a tipple for Santa, the carrot for Rudolph, the scattering of reindeer food, new PJ’s on Christmas eve and then of course the day itself when they see the presents around the Christmas tree and the shout of “he’s been mummy, Santa’s been!”. It should be every child’s right to expect this and it’s heartbreaking to think that this isn’t always the case.
OCC was set up by the Samaritans Purse in 1990 and takes place each year at Christmas time. Anyone can take part, here at Fifteen we found out about this wonderful project through Isabella, (daughter of Ollie and Anna) bringing the letter home from Larkfields Infants School where Jane Maltby and Jenni Bates coordinate it. Adults and children who wish to take part are asked to send in a wrapped medium sized shoebox full of both practical items such as toothbrushes and soap and fun items such as toys and sweets. It’s humbling to be reminded just how lucky we are as we write letters to Santa with our children asking for iPads and scooters yet we are putting toothpaste and flannels in the boxes.
Over the past 14 years Operation Christmas Child has enabled 113 million boys and girls to receive shoeboxes in 130 countries!!! In the words of Nicole Scherzinger what a shamazing achievement! The boxes are distributed to churches overseas and given out to children based on need regardless of cultural or religious backgrounds.
Take a look at the video of Fifteens OCC experience, Lofty, Michelle and Lucy hard at work hitting the shops, our production line as we filled the boxes with as many treats as we could cram in then wrapping and labeling the boxes with the gender and age group they were suitable for. It’s a day we look forward and is one of the many reasons we all love working here at Fifteen so much, after all there are not many jobs that enable you to be part of something so special. Once wrapped its off to Larkfields we go to meet Isabella and her schoolmates for the drop off and one of the most entertaining photo sessions we’ve ever done! Its always special seeing the children’s faces as they see the number of boxes they have helped put together and with over 100 boxes donated this year it’s a real achievement to be rightly proud of.
It’s a real privilege for us as a company to be in a position where we can support such worthwhile causes. To think that we have this year doubled our previous donation to 30 boxes means an awful lot to every member of the Fifteen team and we hope to you our clients too as without you putting the work our way, we wouldn’t be able to do this. So, as a valued member of our Fifteen community (as all our clients are), thank you for supporting Fifteen and enabling us to in turn make Christmas special for 30 extra children this year.
Operation Christmas Child can’t bring the same level of festive indulgence we all love so much to the children it supports but it CAN put a huge smile on their faces and help give them a sprinkle of that Christmas magic that every child deserves.
If you’d like to contribute to Operation Christmas Child, you can still make an online donation via www.samaritans-purse.org.uk
Merry Christmas everyone!