I believe all children deserve a present at Christmastime so this year I’m going to participate in Operation Christmas Child. Children from around the world are given a shoe box with gifts you’ve purchased for either a boy or a girl.

Former President Bill Clinton mentions Operation Christmas Child in his new book, Giving: How Each of Us Can Change the World. He says that he likes the program because people of all ages and income levels can participate.

A few years after the first shoe boxes were delivered, Clinton went to Bosnia and saw first hand “the happiness and gratitude sparked by these small boxes.”

Clinton also says:

“Countless gift-givers of modest means have made a real difference in the lives of children who otherwise might have been forgotten. Though Samaritan’s Purse is a Christian group, it offers a proven model of caring for children that members of any synagogue, mosque, or temple might want to emulate.”

This is how Samaritan’s Purse summarizes the project (from the Web site):

“Operation Christmas Child brings joy and hope to children in desperate situations around the world through gift-filled shoe boxes and the Good News of God’s love. This program of Samaritan’s Purse provides an opportunity for people of all ages to be involved in a simple, hands—on missions project while focusing on the true meaning of Christmas—Jesus Christ.”

It’s a great way to involve your entire family. Each member can do his/her own shoebox. Each kid can do one for a child like himself and fill it with toys he’d love to receive.

Find a drop off location near you.

Photo courtesy of Samaritan’s Purse.

I wasn’t going to keep writing about all the recalls, thinking that Moms get that information in our everyday news sources, but then I decided to offer some links in case there is a Mom reading this who hasn’t heard this news yet. In the past week, there have been two crib recalls — one for a regular crib, one for a play yard (aka pack ‘n’ play). And, there is a recall on children’s jewelry that contains lead.

Here’s a list of the recalls from the Consumer Product Safety Commission. Don’t forget, as I posted earlier, you can sign up to get email notices of all recalls, here.

Mattel announced yet another toy recall. This one includes:

• GeoTrax™ Engine (2 products)
• Barbie® Accessory Sets (7 products)
• It’s a Big Big World™ (1 product)

Read the Associated Press story here.

Visit Mattel’s Voluntary Safety Recall Web site.

It seems every few days now there is a product recall. Last night while watching the evening news I learned about a new recall for spiral-bound SpongeBob SquarePants address books and journals. Apparently, the binding material contains a high amount of lead. Read the recall information here, from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.

While you are at the CPSC Web site, sign up for its recall newsletter to receive recall information via email so you’ll be among the first to know.

I’m thankful that we live in a world where companies can use the media as a forum to get the word out about products that are not safe for our children, however, I’m tired of all of these toy and product recalls. It seems that every week I have yet another list to review and toys to hunt down to make sure I do/or don’t have the exact toys that are on the recall list.

Today, it’s a car seat, last week Mattel toys, the week before Fisher-Price toys. How many of these will be have to go through?

Here are a couple of links of the recall lists that I recently found. It’s better to be safe than sorry, so take a few minutes today to ensure your kid’s toys are not on one of these lists.

Mattel (includes video from Chairman)
Fisher-Price toys (list includes toy name, ID and a thumbnail photo; information from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission
Britax Car Seat (from BabyCenter.com)