Bag Contents

Christmas Bags for Haiti

Bag Contents

Christmas Bags for Haiti began as a dream of missionaries who traveled to Haiti, missionaries who lived there, and a dedicated group of Haitians in Haiti. The whole purpose of Christmas Bags for Haiti is to give the children in schools and orphanages in Cap Haitien, Haiti a gift at Christmas (usually the only gift they will ever receive, and for some their first Christmas gift ever). The gifts in the Christmas Bags meet physical and spiritual needs and include a little bit of fun! Included in the bags are:

Hygiene items

School supplies

Fun things

The Gospel

Christmas Bags for Haiti is not a ministry that came about as part of the earthquake in January. This is the 9th year that Christmas Bags have been sent to Haiti and the ministry has grown from just under 700 bags sent the first year to over 10,000 sent in 2011! God has truly blessed this ministry and for this we are eternally grateful. BUT there are churches and schools on a waiting list! Will you prayerfully consider helping to fill this gap by getting your church or organization involved in sending at least one more Christmas Bag in 2012? Here's how:

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BAG CONTENTS: Much like school supply lists at schools in the States, this "shopping list" was designed after consulting with the local teachers and pastors. Please prayerfully consider how to fill your bag keeping this in mind.

Hygiene Items:

-Toothbrush

-Toothpaste

-1 Bar of Soap

(Family size toothpaste and soap are best as they will last the kids a LONG time. A tube of toothpaste in Haiti costs 4 times what it does in the States!)

School Supplies:

-2 Pens

-2 Pencils

-70-count Spiral Notebook

-Coloring Book

-1 Box of 24-count Crayons

(Spiral notebooks and 24-count crayons have been requested by the teachers. By following this shopping list you can ensure that the child who receives your Christmas Bag will have what his or her teacher has requested.)

+ $3 for shipping

If you or your organization are filling more than a couple of bags, please include a separate check to cover shipping for all bags. This helps save time so that we don't have to go through every bag, and it helps ensure that your shipping money isn't accidently sent with your bag!

Boy or Girl?

Help us make sure an older boy doesn't get a baby doll for his Christmas gift. Clearly label the outside of your bag with one of these choices...

Boy 5-14

Boy 15-21

Girl 5-14

Girl 15-21

Why do we include children up to the age of 21? In Haiti the cost of education is so expensive that a family will only send a child when they can afford it. It is not unusual to have a 14-year-old child just starting kindergarten! We don't want these older kids left out!

Just for Fun:

-Hard Candy

-Gum

-Toy

GIRLS LIKE: umbrellas, hair ties, jewelry, dolls, stuffed animals

BOYS LIKE: cars, hats, calculators, marbles, flashlights, hackie sacks, dinosaurs (2 cars so they can crash or 2 dinosaurs so they can fight! Kids are kids no matter what their circumstance)

Please don't include any war related items, liquids, guns or breakables.

A helpful tip: Please take your items out of their big packaging. Haiti has plenty of trash! If there are a lot of small parts, you can put them in a Ziploc baggie. Baggies will be reused until they are simply not usable any longer. Nothing is more frustrating than handing a child in Haiti a toy car that is attached to a base that has to have a tiny screwdriver to release it! Please check for this also!! In Haiti, you can't just run to the local Wal Mart and get a screwdriver!

The Gospel:

The most important part of any Christmas Bag is the Gospel. We will include a Gospel Tract coloring book and John and Romans booklet in French Creole. In many of the schools these two booklets are then used as part of their curriculum.