Shoebox appeal thanks public for donations

THIS year’s
annual Christmas Shoebox Appeal has proved to be a huge success.

Over 172,383
shoeboxes were donated from schools, families, businesses, local communities
and churches all around the country during October and November.

The appeal was
led by Irish charity Team Hope. It distributed the brightly
Christmas-paper-wrapped- shoeboxes made up of toys, sweets and personal items
to street children, orphans, kids in hospital, poor families, victims of war
and other needy children across Africa and Eastern Europe.

This small,
dedicated team, together with over 50 local teams of volunteers nationwide, has
been organising the Christmas shoebox appeal for the past 12 years.

Carol
Hennessey, manager of the Team Hope Shoebox Appeal, said:

“Team Hope has
received almost the same amount of gift filled Christmas shoeboxes this year despite
the difficult economic situation we are currently experiencing here.

“We would
especially like to thank the people of County Dublin for their huge support and
generosity in helping out with this campaign thus helping kids whom are in far
worse situations around the world.

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