Christmas Shoebox Appeal

The Student Council in Athboy Community School have been busy organising the Shoebox Appeal again this year, and today is the day that the boxes of Christmas gifts will be taken to the regional depot for dispatch.

Team Hope’s Christmas Shoebox Appeal is an annual campaign that delivers gifts straight into the hands of children affected by poverty. Often these shoebox gift are the only present that such children will receive at Christmas and the joy that they bring is incredible. Since 2010, Team Hope have delivered over 2.8 million Shoebox gifts to vulnerable children across the world.

Close to 40 boxes were collected by class groups and individuals in Athboy C.S. over the last few weeks, each one wrapped in festive paper. The boxes were collected using age and gender categories, both boys and girls aged from 2-4, 5-9 and 10-14.

In each box were various presents and treats including colouring pencils, pencils/pens, copies/colouring books, pencil sharpeners and erasers, soap, hairbrushes, toothbrushes and toothpaste, hair ties/scrunchie, hats and gloves, jelly sweets, small trinkets like a small teddy bear or toy car etc.

Boxes were completed by Friday the 14th of November and students have been collecting since well before the Mid-term break. The Student Council would like to thank each and every student and staff member who contributed to the boxes, or who helped in any way.

Pictured are some of the members of the Student Council with some of the Shoeboxes being readies for transportation to the regional collection centre.

From left: Walter Duffy, Lavine Corscaddden, Nenyasha Maticha, Samantha Taylor, Yeva Mariash, Saoirse Meagher, Cayde Quinn and Besart Hoxhaj.