Raheny pupil raises money for children’s mental health with ‘Smile Sacks’

Gary Ibbotson 23 Apr 2021

A sixth-class student from Raheny has raised over €600 for St Frances’ Mental Health Clinic at Temple Street Children’s Hospital, by selling gift bags designed to raise awareness for children’s mental health.

Tara O’Moore, 12, has been selling ‘Smile Sacks’ which contain various items aimed at helping children who may be feeling lonely or anxious during the Covid-19 pandemic.

“Tara was lonely and isolated at the start of lockdown,” says her mother, Clodagh.

“She got the idea after doing a school project on raising awareness for a charity and she just carried on,” she says.

Tara says that she set up on an Instagram account to promote the project and asked her neighbours to spread the news, which has worked out so far.

The items Tara puts in the bag include a fidget toy to reduce stress, a chocolate heart, a homemade notebook to express one’s feelings, a trophy to remind them that they are a champion, a mindfulness colouring sheet, and a box of crayons “to make your day colourful.”

Tara also writes a positive note and puts it in the bag too, she says.

“If she knows the person she will make it a personal message,” says Clodagh.

Tara says she chose Temple Street and St Frances’ as her charity of choice as she visits Temple Street for treatment on her hypermobility and to highlight the issue of children’s mental health.

“Children do feel pressure, they do feel anxiety,” says Clodagh.

“This project is about raising awareness for children’s mental health as well as raising money,” she says.

Tara says that the initiative has been a great success so far and has received feedback from many people saying that it has given them a new hobby.

“Lots of kids have picked up colouring,” says Clodagh. “It does seem to relieve stress.”

Tara and her mother sell the ‘Smile Sacks’ for six euro each and says that “she doesn’t have a goal” for how much she wants to raise but will continue making them.

“Now that she’s back to school we make and sell them on the weekends,” says Clodagh.

“We will probably go on until July or August, aiming the ‘Smile Sacks’ at sixth class students who are going into first year.”

Clodagh says that she hopes the project will show people that “children are struggling with their mental health” during the pandemic as well as adults and that services like St Frances’ are essential.

“I am so proud of Tara and I hope it can help children struggling with mental health to get into a better headspace.”

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