“It’s such a good feeling to know you’re making a difference.”
As the deadline for this year’s Team Hope Shoebox Appeal fast approaches, the charity are giving one last push to ensure that as many children as possible receive a box full of gifts this Christmas.
One of those people is stylist and mother-of-two Ruth Sheridan.
Following the tragic passing of her first child, Ruth decided that she wanted to do whatever she could to give to those who might also be struggling in other countries.
So now, every year since 2015, she and husband Eamonn have taken it upon themselves to organise their local Co. Cavan shoebox drive, ensuring that hundreds of shoeboxes get to the Team Hope sorting centre on time.
“I wanted to get involved and get busy and give back,” she says.
“And it does just kept going and it kept getting bigger and bigger every year.
“There’s three primary schools involved at the moment and there’s the secondary school and local families too. I’ve had two other kids since so it’s a very busy time, there’s a lot to juggle, but it’s such a good feeling to know you’re making a difference.”
This year, Team Hope are hoping to deliver their two millionth shoebox to children living in poverty.
That means that the charity need to send an impressive 280,000 boxes to Africa and eastern Europe for Christmas to meet their important milestone – a feat that is only going to be possible with help from people like Ruth.
She says that she remembers filling shoeboxes herself when she was younger, but that after awhile, the interest in her community began to wane.
“It was a big thing when we were kids and then it just sort of stopped,” she says.
“Once we started drawing attention to it again, people in my local area were contacting me and saying that they wanted to do something. We just knew we wanted to give back to the kids who don’t really have anything.”
Ruth says that growing up, she was always aware of how much she had, and how little some others did.
Her mother used to host children from Chernobyl during the summer months, so she saw firsthand the positive effect charity can have on children’s lives.
She also spent some time travelling around south-east Asia where she witnessed the conditions that a lot of children growing up in orphanages are subjected to.
It’s memories like these that continue to spur Ruth on year after year, as she vows to deliver more and more boxes to the local sorting centre.
“Last year, we did about 200 so this year we’re hoping to get 300 or more,” she says.
“We’ve got another primary school involved and potentially another secondary school too so we’re praying and hoping that we hit the target.
“The number does seem like just a number, but each box is going into the hands of a child and that’s what I try to explain to people all the time. They’ll say ‘Oh no I only have 20 boxes’ and I’ll say that’s perfect. 20 boxes isn’t just 20 boxes – it’s 20 boxes that are going to actual children.”
You can find out more about Team Hope’s Shoebox Appeal here, and how to fill your box here.
