Bersted Street
South Bersted
Bognor Regis
West Sussex
PO22 9QE
Operation Christmas Child
A HARVEST OF LOVE - 22nd October 2010
“A Harvest of Love” was gathered from South Bersted School and Church as the community came together to fill shoeboxes of gifts for children in need around the world, as part of Operation Christmas Child.
South Bersted Church support OCC each year in its mission “to demonstrate God’s love in a tangible way” and “to share the Good News of Jesus Christ,” and, this year, Church member and 1st South Bersted Cub Scout leader, Wendy Morris, approached South Bersted School to organise a collection too.
To make it as easy as possible to contribute, Wendy suggested asking families for a donation of just one item, which the local cubs and brownies could then work together to gather into completed shoeboxes packed with gifts, from toys and stationery to toiletries and clothes. Captivated by a short DVD demonstrating just how simple it is to put together a shoebox that will be placed into the hands of a child who may otherwise receive nothing at all this Christmas, there was a resounding 'YES' from the children when Wendy spoke at an assembly and asked them to take part. Challenging themselves to aim for 30 shoeboxes – picturing a whole classroom full of children who would receive them – the school ended up creating over 100... which is half the school!
Tim Crook, the vicar at South Bersted, suggested linking the collection in with Harvest Festival and the Church offered financial support to cover the cost of postage for this community effort. With other local people contributing too, including Wendy's mother (a resident at Servite House) and a group of her friends who knitted beautiful hand puppets and beanie hats from patterns on the OCC website, all came together at the school Harvest Festival on October 22nd. Cubs and Brownies who attend the school were invited to wear their uniforms as they and their group leaders took the donations from their fellow pupils and went on to spend the evening busily wrapping and organising the donations into boxes. The following Sunday, Church members added their boxes of gifts to this spectacular pile now arranged before the altar.
As Wendy said, “So often, we look at the problems in the world, and it seems impossible that we can do anything that will help… At South Bersted, as a community, we have experienced for ourselves that if everyone does a little bit, and works together, it can make a big, big difference. Thank you so much to everyone who gave their time, energy and donation. It was well worth it!”
