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SAME AGAIN, PLEASE!
Despite the weather forcing us indoors, September’s URC forecourt sale raised almost £600 for the Church and a range of good causes, and a major factor was the quantity and quality of the goods donated by the Ickenham public. Now we need more, for what we hope will be a Monster Jumble Sale on Saturday 9th October (from 10am until 12 noon, admission free).
Please bring what you can to the Church on Friday 8th October, from 3pm to 7pm, or phone Richard Piper on 01895 634348 if you need items collected.
OPERATION CHRISTMAS CHILD
 As Bernie mentioned in his page 2 article, Operation Christmas Child shoeboxes from Ickenham will be distributed to children in Mozambique again this year. In a country where more than 70% live below the poverty line, where HIV rates leave many orphaned or cared for by elderly grandparents, and where droughts have ravaged crops, a shoebox filled with gifts from us could be the only Christmas present many of the children receive. Feedback from previous years tells us that the shoeboxes bring enormous pleasure to these children. So why not get involved in one or all of the following ways?
- Wrap a regular sized shoebox in Christmas paper – wrap the lid and box separately
- Donate items for the contents – all new, please; not second-hand – and we’ll assign them to boxes
- Fill a whole box yourself with an assortment of (unwrapped) gifts if you wish – but please don’t seal it; we need to check contents before sending them off
- Make a contribution towards transportation – it costs about £2.50 to deliver each box to a child
We try to get a variety of items into each box. Gifts that go down well are all forms of school supplies. To attend school in Mozambique children must supply their own paper, pencils and pens, so including these, as well as sharpeners and rubbers, can be a real life-line to children and parents alike. Simple English reading materials are also good, as English is taught at school from age 10. Picture books are fine too, but no pictures of wild animals please, as these can be scary.
Other suitable items are toys – balls, cars and planes (but no military vehicles); hats and gloves are good for cooler evenings, but scarves are not so useful; wrapped sweets are appreciated (but no chocolate – it melts!) Soap, toothbrushes, toothpaste, flannels and combs are all welcome, but avoid fruit-shaped soaps or cleansing liquids (which might get eaten or drunk).
A variety of groups throughout Ickenham get involved: both churches, Breakspear School, Happy Days Pre-School, Jack and Jill Mother and Toddler Group as well as Guides, Brownies and Scouts. Each group will have their own plans in place, but eventually all items make their way to the URC.
You can also bring any items directly to the URC yourself. There are baskets for them in the Church lobby and also in the Hardwick Room. Please bring them by Sunday 24th October, to allow us time to check, sort and pack boxes before their dedication at the 11am service the following Sunday, and the start of their journey to South East Africa.
With your help, I am sure we will achieve another great Operation Christmas Child result for the children of Mozambique!
Dorothy Vickery |
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