TERRIBLE things we found in OCC Shoeboxes | BARRETO FAMILY
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- čas přidán 16. 05. 2022
- This year we received some odd, weird, and dangerous items!!!
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I volunteer at a processing center for OCC and they’ve shared stories before where a child (for example) who only has one leg ends up with a single sock. God has His way in what’s packed in the boxes. Or if not them, someone they know.
Yes, there are definitely stories like this and God can use anything to be a huge blessing.
my suggestion for anyone who struggled to fill their boxes- thrift stores! It depends on what your comfortable with but there are many good as new toys if you get ones like cars, to go thermos waterbottles you can wash and then stuff with school supplies, at a far smaller cost
I like to think that when packing the box, one sock got dropped and left out! So sorry for that child.
It is very possible. Thankfully, everything else in the box was complete.
Agreed....not purposely done im sure
Or a child put one of his/her socks in the box and the parents didn’t catch it and now they are wondering where the mate is….lol! Not done on purpose.
It's possible it could have fallen out at some point. It would be easy to drop a sock.
This is my personal opinion. I have seven children. I have put in a multi tool like that in a shoebox before. After hearing your concerns, I won't. However, it is just a multi tool. Just as a knife can be used well for cutting and used wrongly for stabbing and harming, a hammer could be used for good or evil as well. Even a piece of paper could be a tool used for hate by writing something vile on it. It's not about the tools, it's about the heart and mind. Praise God for the work you do on behalf of all of these children and leading them to a life with Christ!
I appreciate your perspective and had not thought of that before. It is true, anything can be used for good or for harm depending on the one who receives it. We can do our best when we send things, but ultimately how they are used is out of our control. I think that makes it all the more important to pray over these boxes and the kids that receive them.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts!❤
My thoughts exactly. Fishing line could be used as a weapon. A pencil could be used as a weapon. Not sending a multi tool because of how it COULD be used is like disarming law abiding citizens because of the criminals.
Thank you so much for sharing. I am so saddened to think that packers with good hearts and intentions could have created real problems for you and others. But thank You, Jesus, for putting the box with the multi tool on top! Prayers for your ministry and the families you influence. We all pray over our boxes for the children, but perhaps some prayer needs to be offered for the contents. I will be checking out your links. Blessings!
I totally agree! I think it is also important to realize that packers have the best of intentions.
I love hearing some feedback from a receiving country. Your views are so helpful.. as a Mom AND a missionary you see things in a great way. I'm sure the single sock was a mistake.. someone probably got 3
I hadn't thought about that... I bet the box was packed in an assembly line at a church or something and they just accidently put in one sock at the sock/hygiene/essentials station.
Thank you for being so sensitive I your video as the people who send the boxes have their hearts in the right places. Thanks also for giving better suggestions. At one of my packing parties I found one leftover swimming armband! It took ages to search all the boxes to find its lonely buddy!
Absolutely, I am sure every item was sent with the best intentions and that is important to understand. I am sure that is exactly what happened with the sock, I bet it happened during a packing party and just went unnoticed. It did give us some good giggles though!
The saddest thing I found in a Shoebox while working at the OCC processing by far was so many boxes with almost nothing in them! We tried adding filler items to them but because there was a Challenge going on to see how many boxes each station could process the fastest. many got thru, very Sad. 1 box had half the box taken up by a full-sized bottle of shampoo, so we had to remove it because it was liquid and now the box was half full.
That really sucks. I use bigger boxes then OCC cuz I always run out of space, I like putting a lot of things in my boxes.
Yes, sadly, we have seen some half-full boxes arrive and it is always a bit of a bummer for that kiddo. We so appreciate all of the hard work that packers and volunteers put into making sure the boxes are the best they can be.
Yes, definitely a sad reality. Thank you for all the love you put into your boxes when you send them!
That is sad. I usually have a goal of 50 - 100 boxes each year. This year, I am aiming for 50 boxes as well as several boxes of filler for the processing center to use.
@@linal3489 Please please please don't do that! I know it is well intentioned but, please only use the regular sized boxes. For one thing, these boxes are distributed in groups, and it is extremely unfair to the children for one of them to receive a box much larger than the others. Often it even makes the child receiving the larger box feel uncomfortable.
But by far the larger reason is that these boxes are shipped in uniformed sized containers that are designed to hold a certain number of boxes. I have worked in the processing center and we dreaded getting the oversized boxes because it meant that we would not be able to fill the container with the amount of boxes it was meant to hold. All we could do at that point would be to try to get as close as we possibly could. When the containers are delivered they are distributed according to how many boxes are supposed to be in them. That becomes a problem if a school or an orphanage with a set amount of children receive the containers and open them to find that instead of 16 boxes, several of them contain 10 or 12. I've heard reports from missionaries that have said that this meant not all of the children received a box.
The obvious solution here would be to have the children that received the oversized boxes split them with the children that didn't receive any. That is what is often done. The problem here is that the children then need to go through all of the items and decide which ones are theirs to keep and which ones go to the other child. It's so much better when each children is given a special box for their very own, the way it was intended.
Oh my goodness! When we completed our packing party last year I found one sock left!. We had a bunch of socks out the the table and only hope that one box got 3!
😂 Oh the socks... I am sure this isn't the first or the last one that has lost its pair somewhere in the packing process.
I'm surprised the multi-tool made it through the processing plan as well as the candy but I could definitely see that it might look like a bead making it. TFS
You and me both!
Wow God was really watching out for those boxes the day you opened the one with that tool. Thank you Lord. It being right on top tells me the person inspecting that box was not familiar with the rules at all. Thank you Kayla for this video.
You are so welcome and you are so right! We give God all the credit for helping us to find the pocket knife.
Oh no 😢 so sad!!
The candy looks like a bead kit for sure! 😨
So scary about the knife incident!
We send hammers and nails in older boy boxes.
My dad mentioned to me one time that in some countries screwdrivers could be useless (due to lack of materials, obviously you need screws for a screwdriver) but hammers and nails could be used in most areas of the world. This has stuck with me.
Praise God He intervened!! So glad you found the utility knife.
Just curious, was it in a Boy 10-14 Shoebox?
TFS! 💕
I love your dad's thoughts and I would agree... In many areas I bet hammers are of more use than a screwdriver. Especially since electric drills to pilot holes are almost unheard of in many areas.
To answer your question, yes, it was in a boy 10-14 box. All praise goes to God for helping us find this box.
Hi Kayla, Thank-you for sharing your most recent experiences of 'worst items'. Today, I found the damage goods section at my local Kmart (AU). There were several packs of kids socks with various explanations for their markdown like "one missing". I had a good chuckle to myself as a I checked each pack for said missing sock. And found a pack that was missing not one but two socks i.e. a two pair pack not a three pair pack.
I bought this pack and got home to find I had purchased a two pack of girls socks, one with a kitten face wearing a floral and silver sparkle collar. Miss Kitten Sock with her ears that reach up and over the ankle is perfect for my Miss 2-4 cat themed shoebox. For the boys, I got a 7 pack of sports socks because it was missing its carboard packaging. So, I got 18 socks or 9 pairs for $2. I will check back next week to see if I can find the "one missing."
Wow!!! You got a great deal on those socks! Hopefully you find the missing one in a later shopping trip. What a great idea to check the damaged goods section. Especially if they are there just because of damaged packaging... it really makes it a great deal!
P
I've packed vintage children's books from the 1980s/1990s.
That is such a fun idea!!!
What about reusable eating utensil kits that come with knives?
I'm happy that my 2 son received gift from Samaritan...it's help from us ...
So glad your two sons were blessed with shoeboxes.
Of course you are selling for Amazon!
It is a blessing to be able to link items for others to find in case they are interested. The great thing is that whether people use my link or not, the price is the same. I simply link them in case anyone is interested in the items.
Just filled my box and will turn it in to my church next week..i found lots of clearance sale items to put inside..a disney esmeralda doll, a small hackeysack, coloring book, colored pencils, a pencil sharpener, crayons, a pencil pouch, kids scissors with a cover, a pair of kids sunglasses, kids jewelry, a winter hat and 3 pairs of gloves, 5 pairs of socks, a pink disney esmeralda cup, kids chapstick....may look for a few more small items to add....
I'm glad I came across your video. I packed multi-tools in the boy boxes thinking it would be helpful to have a screwdriver, scissors and pliers. I guess i didn't even think about the knife. Kind of dumb on my part! Luckily I got them out before they were turned in.
It is unfortunate that multi-tools seem to always have a blade. They rest of the multi-tool is great! Glad you were able to get them before sending (most of them get taken out at the processing center).
Thanks so much from sharing. Hopefully that sock wasn't part of a sock puppet kit 😆
Recently I checked the do not send lists for 4 of the sending countries, and candy and knives are not allowed on any of those. I know once upon a time candy used to be allowed in boxes, I guess it just hasn't gotten through everyone's heads yet...
There is a small, flat, wallet-sized multi-tool that Dollar Tree sells which has a (very) small knife edge to it. OCC Canada does allow it (I guess since it meets customs requirements and is too small to be considered a danger).
I did check his box, it was not a puppet kit... If it had been I would have explained that project to him. 😉
Good to know about Canada's pocket knife rule. It is definitely important to know the rules for where you send from.
Unfortunately, all 3 of those should have been caught at the PC but were not. Multi tools are not allowed if they have a blade and neither is candy. Hopefully, everyone working at the PC will pray and be aware of what is coming through the boxes. I’m glad God led you to find the multi tool.
Yes, it is definitely something to be aware of. I know there is probably a lot going on at the packing centers, but these are just examples of a few things to be extra careful of.
I don't understand why people DON'T read the suggestions on the list. Now, the boxes are examined by volunteers before they are shipped.
The suggestion list is definitely helpful... and I am glad there are volunteers to check boxes. No system is perfect, but OCC definitely does all they can to make sure the boxes are checked before they are sent.
I'm guessing that the mate to that sock probably fell out when the box was inspected at the Processing Center, or maybe during a packing party. I don't think that anyone would intentionally send just one sock.
It is our responsibility to educate, educate, educate! I as putting on an informational luncheon, and one of my volunteers was showing how she sets up an OCC Store for her grandkids to "shop" for their Shoeboxes. Everything was great, except just before we began, I noticed that one of the items she had in her little store was a pocket knife. She'd been packing Shoeboxes for years, and regularly included pocket knives in her boxes! Her own children had them growing up and there had never been an issue, so she just never gave any thought to it. But when people take time to read the brochures that OCC provides, it is very clearly stated that knives are not allowed.
As for the multi-tool, I'm wondering how it made it past inspection at the PC? As you showed, it was right on the top of the inside of the box.
My goodness a single sock! Horrors! Thanks gor the warning. 1:13
😂 I know... but hey, I see it as... if a single sock is one of the "worst" things we have seen, then OCC is doing a FANTASTIC job as they check and send boxes.
Is there any way you could let OCC know what items managed to get through the PC. I love your presentation.
We have already sent a report to our local coordinator. Here is to hoping that report gets passed along to whoever needs it.
@@BarretoFamily I sent it to our regional office also. Hope they do better training in the future.
@@donavandewalker7436 Thank you so much! We found more boxes with expired candy last week. Again, thankfully we saw it and were able to make a substitution.
Maybe teach the older boys some skills and they can help open boxes with their multi tool knife.
Often times the older kids will help cur the tape open with our safe scissors.
That one sock is funny. When packing Ive had items layout and will leave something out but I always found it before dropping off the boxes!! Always good to double check!! I can see how someone would mistake the candy for beads, good thing you saw it!! I’ve never send a multitool but it’s good to know and look out for when sending one!! Thank God no child was hurt!! Thank you for this informative video!! Thank you and your family for this Ministry!! TFS and Crafty hugs ❤️🤗!!
Yes, it is so easy to forget something. We all had a good laugh with the one sock.
I have been working in the processing center as a volunteer for several years. One year, we had a box come through inspection that had three (3) dead baby squirrels in them. Also, had a large blanket we had to throw away because a dog had urinated on the blanket. Many boxes are packed just right, not to much and not to little. Some though are overstuffed or contain used and dirty items. I feel we need to ask ourselves if what we pack is something we would want to receive.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts. I am so glad there are lots of volunteers who give their time to process and check over the boxes so that they can be shipped in the best way possible. Without processing volunteers I am sure there would be more challenges, but you all help to make sure each box is packed in the best way possible.
I can't even imagine packing a box with squirrels...or ending up checking a box and finding the squirrels! I can't speak to that but we had boxes come to us from an older lady who is a family member of someone in our church. The family used packing OCC boxes as a way to give her something to do. The boxes were pitiful. One box contained several pr of socks and that was all! Some boxes contained used items such as an old deck of cards. I think in this case, she did not understand the mission of OCC and was not supervised by her family who gladly dropped off the boxes. We caught the misunderstanding and fixed the boxes before they were sent on their way.
Don't you think the squirrels probably got in there on their own? Someone in the midwest just got a bag of pre-washed lettuce from California with a live frog in it.
I found you going down the rabbit hole, researching OCC Shoeboxes (my wife has tasked me to fill).
I think most people know why giving kids blades is bad idea; kind of sad you have to explain to some.
It is definitely worth mentioning in case someone was considering it.
Does anybody know if a Bluetooth kareoke mic (rechargeable with USB) would work in the box! I bough my gifts but just now thinking to make sure that they will be able to use it (because it needs to be plugged in to charge) thanks in advance!!
since electricity is different around the world, i would choose something else that did not require electricity.
God made sure that was the box at hand for you to cut open! Thank you Jesus.
Amen! Still praising God for his goodness.
Two of those (the multi-tool with knife blades and the candy) are on the "do not include" list for Samaritan's Purse. So I guess the lesson is, if Samaritan's Purse says not to send it, don't send it. :) The single sock is kind of a funny problem - not useful but also not dangerous.
Yes, I was surprised they came all the way here, because I know they are on the don not pack list. Just a reminder that we all need to be conscientious so that we don't pack them in the first place. 😉
Or some child got 3 socks. WE have a single sock in our OCC supply. And a single glove, that's can happen whenyou pack a lot.
I'm sure that is what happened. We have packed school supply kits and youth camp bags... when you pack in bulk it is so hard not to make an error as you go with putting an extra of something of leaving an item out. Thankfully this shoebox was just short a sock, not a big deal.
I try to send a very sturdy pair of socks and a fun pair in my boxes
Oooo, that is a great idea to include both. I know the basic ones tend to be better quality... but fun socks are just that, FUN. :)
Multitools with knives aren’t allowed anyway, per Samaritan’s Purse’s guidelines. Looks like that one was missed.
Yes, it was definitely over looked... a good reminder not to pack them though. :)
Could have made a sock puppet.
Very true and creative solution.
Why dont 15-17 year old children get boxes very unfair their children and they like xmas too
because studies have found school age children are more open to the Gospel -- by 15 plus -- most children are already out of school in the countries that have a program
One way to avoid sending a single sock is to put the pair together with a safety pin. This could be done prior to a packing party.
Thanks for the video. You always have a good perspective. And mostly, thank you for working to spread the Good News.
Great tip! Safety pinning the socks together would definitely avoid that problem!!! Thanks for you encouragement as well.
I dont agree with the Muli tool, I guess it’s a rule but it should be a teaching moment on the proper use for it. Single sock is funny , I belive it to be an honest mistake.
Multi-tools are great... just without blades for safety reasons. It would be nice to be able to teach proper use to every child, but it is a risky idea when boxes are often given out to 100+ kids at an event. I understand your point of view though.
I think the sock was a simple mistake. It was funny though, and if that is one of the "worst" things we have seen, I think OCC is doing a GREAT job.
I'll still send a multi-tool if it doesn't have a blade
Absolutely! I think it would be a great gift!!! I just think it is good to steer away from blades.
How about scissors
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These boxes are costing a small fortune these days. Mine coast me over $30!
There is no need to be so dramatic. If y’all sent a check list it would be much easier. I also see boys opening boxes with Barbie dolls. Why are boys opening girl boxes?
I understand... I see a lot of people who shop for their boxes year round to search for sales and keep costs down. I think great boxes can be made without breaking the bank, but it definitely takes searching for sales.
I have responded to this in a few of my Q&A videos, but there are a few possibilities:
1) Sometimes boxes are mislabeled (it says boy outside, but inside everything is for a girl). In this case the hope is that the child says something or an adult notices and changes the box.
2) Sometimes in the chaos of handing out hundreds of boxes at a time, a label might be misread. Again, in this case you hope the error is noticed after opening boxes and the child can swap the box for the proper gender.
3) In some countries girls have shaved heads or very short hair, so it might be a video where a girl looks similar to a boy, but the box indeed went to a girl.
4) THIS IS RARE, but it is possible that at an evangelism event, the church may run out of a particular age (in this case you hope they would still give a boy box, but in a different age). In VERY RARE cases they might run out of ALL of one gender because they didn't request enough and therefore they might choose the solution of giving a girl box so that the child at least receives a gift (this is not the ideal solution and you hope it doesn't happen).
My box wanted a $10 check plus the gifts in the box. Then you don’t approve of my gifts for oldest age.
I wonder if the single sock had been meant to make a sock puppet?
Maybe... but I would think they would send yarn and googly eyes if that were the thought. It was probably just a packing error.
most likely a packing party where people were in a rush and just grabbed it without realizing what was wrong.
This past season, a couple times, we found Lingerie.... extremely inappropriate lingerie. Thankfully it was found and pulled out but so disturbing!!! Who would send that to a child???
Oh goodness. Thankfully I have not seen that arrive overseas, but yes, that is definitely something to avoid. Thank you for being so diligent in checking boxes!
To answer your question, some people clean out their closets and give to charity anything that they find laying around that they don't want. Best case scenario, things that they bought on sale at some point and never used, worst case scenario...let's not go there. It's the same reason I saw a couple dozen boxes in a row come through with XXL t-shirts from a community festival. Getting rid of the leftovers. There's nothing wrong with giving away perfectly good, unused items that were bought earlier, but some people do it without putting any thought into how appropriate the items are for the intended recipient.
@@snowangelnc4669 GRRR.. my pet peeve regarding people who go to the local community day and have the businesses 'fund' their shoebox...and don't realize that they are harming the business and depriving the child because seriously.... most don't give someone they know a marketing item for a gift....
Single sock ... Time to make a Sock Puppet!!!
Great idea! It would also be a great whiteboard eraser... lots of useful ideas.
I understand multi tools are okay
Yes, as long as they DO NOT have a blade.
Thanks for the feedback. I sent a doll, hair stuff, and jump rope etc. I chose a girl.
Those are great things to pack! That girl will be very blessed.
@@BarretoFamily Thank you. I hope so 🙏
Sound like a little kid got into the box that’s why I shipped mine already my son will open everything and just leave it all there lol
That is very possible. I know our little one gets into everything. She is currently in a phase where she loves taking things out of baskets and then putting them back in.
@@BarretoFamily lol cute mine is a tornado and a little spoiled
My local church has a packing party and the kids aren't really supervised
@@georgewagner7787 lol that’s why I can’t volunteer
@@georgewagner7787 Yeah, that could certainly create a few packing mishaps.
But those socks are not as durable.
Good thought. Quality socks are great to include because they last longer.
A single sock could be made into a sock puppet. Just an idea to turn something non useful into something a child could enjoy. Turn negative into positive 😊
Plus that sock is much better than the thin socks that will be destroyed in no time. Those with grown children know😉
So true... It could also be used as a whiteboard eraser. Lots of uses still.
@@BarretoFamily that's another good idea!🙂
I have so many plastic and glass beads to make bracelets etc. Gangs and knives are a no no. I feel uneasy about sending razors etc. Thank you for sharing and I know how deadly knives can be.
Great point! Those beads would make GREAT kits to send. And yes, these boxes go to all different areas and it is important to be cautious of things like knives for that reason.
Razors aren’t allowed per Samaritan’s Purse’s rules anyway.
I completely disagree. A multi tool is a good idea. A day doesn’t go by without us using it. It has screw driver heads on them. The pliers are amazingly strong. If a kid was trying to use it as a threat, then teach them what it is used for instead. Seems like they only know one way. Not that its even sharp enough, but still. Using this tool some countries would be like giving them a way out of relying on just others. Bettering them selves.They can now fix things! If someone shows them the basics.
Thank you so much for your thoughts. I agree with you that multitools are extremely useful... However they must come without blades (knives). This is an Operation Christmas Child rule.
There are plenty of multi-tools available that do not include knives. While it's true that any item could be used to hurt someone - if we want to speculate, a jump rope could even be used to strangle a person - there are some that are more associated with being used as weapons than others. A knife is one that falls into that category. It's true what she mentioned in the video, about what kind of an impression these gifts leave and what kind impact it has on the church's testimony in the community. If a child harms somebody with a pair of pliers that they received at church, it's easier to look at the person that handed them the pliers and remember that that was not what the they were intended for. It's harder for a person to keep that in mind with a knife.
It might be useful but they’re kids…
In a perfect world, you could teach all the children not to use a knife for bad things. But we need to be realistic in our expectations and act accordingly. I am so amazed at these expectations some have
Can you imagine churches in the US bringing knives to public schools and giving them to students? Not a good idea.
Enough talking about the one sock...too much talking.
It definitely caught our attention though... but hey, if that is one of the "worst" things we've seen, I think it means OCC is doing a GREAT job,
TOOLS!?! Please, they are easily used as weapons. No tools!. Hammers can be used toclunk a child in the head, screw drivers used as stabbing tools, etc. I understand you might not have thought aboutthat, but tools are dangerous as pocket knives!
Great point of view. I think it is definitely something to pray about, and consider the benefit to having a tool versus the potential of it being used incorrectly to harm. Thank you for your thoughts.
I think of tools as something that may help a older boy in his future career, life skills.
@@BarretoFamily I also wondered about small sewing kits for older girls, are these inappropriate also?
@@bettytingstad5009 They have listed small sewing kits as a suggestion on their lists in the past. We usually include one.