Christmas and Birthday Packages

(READ BELOW ABOUT PACKAGES, AND AT THE BOTTOM ABOUT THE PACKAGE THAT NEVER MADE IT!)

during the holidays or as a child's birthday nears, to send gifts. But duty charges and other problems have led us to ask that you NOT send packages. We do receive packages containing one video that hasn't been a problem, but we do NOT get packages with candy. If you have been sending things regularly you know what we can receive.

Many people do not realize that most countries impose duties that are often double the value of a gift. It is unfortunate, but, due to the expense, AIZ cannot afford to accept the charges for these packages. The sender cannot prepay the duty either, because the charges cannot be determined until after the package arrives.

Overseas shipping also presents a host of other problems. Many packages are lost or damaged in transit, while others can be held up in customs for several weeks. The delay often causes food items, such as candy, to melt or become infested with bugs, and clothing items to no longer fit a child by the time they arrive. Someone suggested it would be faster to deliver a package by tying it to a turtle's back.

When making a gift to a child, you can send a check or money order to AIZ (at the Florida address below). Please send it two months or more in advance of the birthday or other special occasion, with instructions for its use. The local workers will select a gift for the child, based upon your specifications. We do ask that you send a minimum of $10, but no more than $100.

With this notice, in September, AIZ will begin adding a small handling fee of $2.50 for all monetary gifts sent to the children. This is necessary to cover increasing costs associated with getting these gifts to the children. THANK YOU for understanding!

There is a young boy named Ruslan Tolpyga who lives with his Mom, Nina. Ruslan likes to draw. He is a cerebral palsy child. A couple from Pennsylvania has been sending support for the group, and they wanted to send this child a birthday present. This husband and wife went to the store and bought lots of colored pencils, drawing pads, candy and several things for him.

If I recall the story correctly they paid $30 for the gift and $39 to mail the package. When the package arrived in the Ukraine the post office wanted $95 before we could take it. As you can see those pencils and other things were getting very expensive.

The Ukraine post office sent the package back to the Pennsylvania post office and they gave the $39 back to the people who sent the package.

Many people say they want to help, and here is a good plan for helping the children! The recently enacted tax-cut law will result in U.S. taxpers receiving a rebate check from the Internal Revenue Service--up to $300 for a single taxpayer and up to $600 for a couple. The IRS began the process of sending out these checks in July.

Some of the rebate checks may be destined for savings accounts or paying bills. But there's another option. For people like you who care about the plight of impoverished children, the tax rebate can become a tax-deductible gift of help to girls and boys in AIZ care!

For children living in poverty in many places, the needs are great, and any extra donation you can send will help advance our efforts to provide life-saving and life-enriching services for children. We ask you to pray and consider turning all or part of your tax rebate check into help for these children who are in such urgent need as winter is fast approaching again.

We need volunteer helpers to come with the physical therapy department, doctors, dentists and ones who love to help tell true Bible stories.