Laois Team Hope shoeboxes will bring smiles to the faces of Kosovan kids
St Mary's CBS Portlaoise teacher and TY students' Ms Ryan, Isaac Kenny, Ryan O'Brien McCormack, Ruairí Molloy, Tanja Collins, Valerie Melia, Joy Rowan, Dorothy McDowell, Dinny Whelan, Séan Ryan, David O'Leary, Adam Bell and Cathal McEvoy Photos: Stan Henderson
MORE THAN 3,600 shoeboxes filled with Christmas gifts for children of all ages will bring smiles to the faces of thousands of Kosovan kids this festive season.
The boxes, put together by volunteers from Laois Team Hope, contained gifts donated by the kinds people of Laois.
Team Hope is an Irish Christian international development charity founded in 2010 which helps children affected by poverty in Eastern Europe and Africa. Each year, with the help of many generous people, the Laois Team Hope Christmas Shoebox Appeal sends thousands of shoeboxes to children in poorer countries. As always, the annual appeal was supported by local schools and several organisations and businesses from around the county.
One of the volunteers, who is 81 years young, is former dressmaker Dorothy Ann Reid, who knitted 550 woollen hats and handmade more than 500 fashion bags for teenage girls over a ten-month period.
Each shoebox contains what Team Hope refers to as the four Ws – something to wash with, something to wear, things to write with and a wow present.
Between volunteers, co-ordinators, students, members of Macra na Feirme and AIB bank, the team went through the boxes to make sure each contained one of the four Ws and then added other items where appropriate.
On Tuesday 3 November, an articulated truck arrived at the old Millers Hardware building on the Dublin Road and the shoeboxes were loaded up by a strong group of volunteers, before heading for Kosovo. Each of the 450 cartons of eight shoeboxes is labelled boys or girls and age group.
Laois Team Hope wishes to thank Richard Downey Snr for use of the building, Ger Mulhall, Laois Fire and Rescue, Portlaoise Parish Centre, Macra na Feirme, all of the schools, libraries and other buildings that were used as collection points around the county. The team also thanked everyone who helped in any way, including those who donated toys and other gifts, those who made gifts and the volunteers who stored and packed them.
More information is available on the Team Hope Laois Facebook page.
Team Hope will need more volunteers in Laois next year. All information is available on www.teamhope.ie.
