Ethical Giving for Operation Christmas Child {Give Justly}
It’s that time of year when we can pack a shoebox to bless a child halfway around the world through Operation Christmas Child. I love doing this with our boys – it’s a tangible thing we can do to teach them about how blessed we are and how our blessings ought to precipitate us to bless others.
Because this is something we do each year, I did some research in my never-ending goal of purchasing ethically made items. It’s easy to take projects like this and pack as much as we can for as cheap as we can, but every year, it doesn’t sit well with me that I was often sending easily breakable items that are sourced in an un-just manner. If the goal is to be a blessing, why would we support a supply chain that perpetuates oppression and unlivable wages?
As always, the ethical choice often costs much more, but I’m hoping the options below will help enable some of you take at least one step toward a more just giving with Operation Christmas Child this year.
Links are affiliate links. If you click and purchase, I receive a very small commission. Thanks for your support!
Wow Items
- Instruments –
- Hape Set of 2
(ethically made)
- Train Whistle
- Hape Set of 2
- Soccer Ball
- Stuffed Animals and Knitted Dolls
(ethically made) Personal Care Items
- Hair Comb
- toothbrushes – Some Oral B toothbrushes are made in the USA (check package to verify) and are widely available
- wash clothes – Bed, Bath and Beyond has a set of made in the USA towels and wash cloths and a set of ethically made towels and wash clothes
- Flashlight – Mini Maglight
- lip balm – Burt’s Bees, 2 Tubes (ethically made)
School Items
- Pencils
- Crayola Crayons
- Crayola Markers
- paper – check notebooks and drawing pads at Target or Walmart
- Scotch Tape
Clothing and Accessories
- shirts –
- HAE Now OrganicTee’s Palomar Youth S/S Organic Tee – Natural S
(fair trade)
- Fruit of the Loom Kids’ T-Shirts
- HAE Now OrganicTee’s Palomar Youth S/S Organic Tee – Natural S
- Socks, Hats, Mittens, Underwear from Primary (ethically made)
- Hats (and Stuffed Animals) from Krochet Kids (fair trade)
(fair trade)Crafts and Activities
- Bicycle Playing Cards
- Marbles
- Tic-Tac-Toe Game
- Play Dough
- Jump Rope
- Wikki Stik Craft Activity
Toys
- Pocket Disk Frisbee
- Ball
- Slinky
Do you have any ethical items you like to pack in your shoeboxes?
