Schools across Louth are being asked to support children living in poverty by registering for Ireland’s most loved Christmas appeal.
Team Hope, the charity that delivers gift-filled shoeboxes to children across Africa and Eastern Europe, has launched its 15th annual Christmas Shoebox Appeal. Families, schools, employers, and community groups are encouraged to get involved this year by logging onto www.teamhope.ie.
Since 2010, Team Hope has delivered more than 2.8 million shoebox gifts and expects to surpass the three million mark this Christmas. For many children, these boxes are the only presents they will receive.
“A simple shoebox, often packed by children for children, carries not only toys and treats but also the invisible gifts of love and hope,” said Team Hope CEO, Deborah Lowry. “That kindness, travelling across oceans, reminds a child that they are not forgotten – that someone, somewhere cares. In a world where headlines often highlight what is broken, the Christmas Shoebox Appeal stands as a powerful demonstration that the world is also filled with kindness.”
The impact of these shoeboxes can last a lifetime. Adas Rakauskas, who now lives in Drogheda, received one as an eight-year-old growing up in Lithuania. His family struggled with poverty and food shortages, and he still remembers the excitement of being handed a box filled with simple gifts like pens and pencils.
Now 37, Adas makes shoeboxes each year with his wife Tracey and their children Elias (9), Izabella (8), and Mikayla (6). “We didn’t have much food – or good food,” he recalled. “At times we relied on neighbours to drop something in, so we were struggling. I remember all of us gathered in the village and at the end of a play, shoeboxes were given to the children. What struck me most was that someone had put this together.”
Adas says the gesture left such a mark that he is determined to pass it on. “These gifts are transformative,” he said. “It’s about giving children not just toys but hope.”
Team Hope is encouraging schools and communities in Louth to get behind this year’s appeal and be part of reaching the three-million-box milestone.
To get involved, visit www.teamhope.ie.
