Happy Birthday, Llama....

::COMPA::

It's a Thanksgiving tradition here in Denver. The Saturday before the Thanksgiving holiday is Delivery Day of hundreds of grocery sacks containing some of what we've come to know as the tradional fixin's to families or individuals who could use a little extra help. COMPA is responsible for organizing this annual event--food collection, bagging, sorting, loading and delivering are what the hundreds of volunteers do to make this event come together. Sarah, Austin and I headed down to the National Western complex this morning (thankfully is was sunny unlike the past two snowy years!) and loaded 26 bags into the minivan.
Recipients of the bags have been nominated by friends, then we're provided with names, addresses and a map, and sent out to the city to bring a bag of food (which also includes a gift certificate for them to purchase a turkey) to the person(s) listed. We encountered all sorts of things when out and about--parking issues, grateful people, one-way streets, angry people, weather, construction, names not matching the mailboxes, no one home, etc. But most of the time we were successful in getting the correct bag to the correct person, and we feel the outreach is well worth the effort. To those people we met today--blessings to you this holiday....

::Shoeboxes::

Every year, thousands of shoeboxes or plastic tubs the size of shoeboxes, are packed with all sorts of things that might delight a child. Who packs them? People like you and me! Why? To be a blessing to children at this holiday season--children (mostly in poorer nations) that have very little material items. When they receive a box, they receive the love of Jesus through you.
The organization Samaritan's Purse operates this annual event called Operation Christmas Child. Shoeboxes can be packed throughout the year--I purchase little odds and ends all year long--and they are collected mid-November for the major distribution worldwide. Inside the box can be practical items such as toothpaste, toothbrush, socks & soap, and fun things like candy, dolls, jumprope and balls--countless possibilities! The OCC website can give you all the details of what and where. (Yes, that was a hint!)
From all over the country, boxes are first shipped to the major distribution sites. Denver happens to be one of those cities and for the past three years, I've volunteered my time, spending several hours in the evening working at the warehouse. Boxes are sorted according to age and gender (marked by the one that assembled it), and then they are inspected. Long lines of people take a box, one at a time, and look through the contents of the boxes just to make sure inappropriate items are not being shipped overseas (food, liquids, breakables, chocolate, war-related toys, etc). Once they are given the okay, they roll down the line to the taping location (securing the lids) and then boxed in cartons for the shipment. It's a lot of work, and the effort is tremendous--it's very impressive actually how organized the operation is!
In the layout above, you can see hundreds of boxes on pallets, waiting to be sorted (a shot I was able to snap while working last year)--this is just a small glimpse of the amount done daily. I believe last year's total (nationwide) was 7 million. 7 million--that's fantastic! I hope that many, if not more, can be shipped in 2005!
I really like this project--just today I dropped off the boxes mom and I put together. I wonder what little kiddos will open these?!

Election Day