This article is from page 69 of the 2008-10-14 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 69 JPG
WHILE most people are pushing Christmas to the back of the agenda, a Tulla woman is already thinking toys and wrapping paper for children who may receive just one gift in the entire year and that gift will be from east Clare.
Jackie Vaughan has been a volun- teer with the Operation Christmas Child Shoebox Appeal for the last five years and she’s urging people of east Clare to put in a massive effort to send more shoeboxes than ever this year to children who have nothing.
“It’s such a personal thing. People pack boxes with lovely things for an individual child. Many of these chil- dren have nothing. They are cold and hungry, they may be orphans, this gift of love is more often than not the only Christmas present they will get,’ said Jackie.
This is the tenth year of the appeal itself and last year in east Clare, gen- erous souls wrapped scores of boxes for children in far-flung places from Africa to Eastern Europe.
Operation Christmas Child is a project organised under the auspices of the Samaritan’s Purse organisa-
tion but no child of any ethnic back- ground or religious persuasion 1s ever CALE Core w
The aim is to fill a shoebox with a cuddly teddy or toy, sweets other than chocolate, crayons, colouring books, and a something small to wear, like gloves, a scarf or hat.
Each box is filled for a boy or girl with a specific age-group in mind.
Jackie particularly hopes that the 10-14 year olds will get lots of boxes from east Clare this year.
“It’s a group that don’t get as many boxes as the other age groups and it’s also important to remember that a
lot of the two to four year olds are orphans, living in institutions where there aren’t a lot of staff so there’s a need to be extra careful about not putting in toys that have small piec- es that children might put in their mouths,’ said Jackie.
Jackie added that anyone who doesn’t have time or who has dif- ficulty putting a box together and wrapping it can make a donation.
Jackie will arrange collection of the boxes from factories and schools. Call her on 065 6835715 for leaflets which include full details of what can be included in the box.