In this special Jubilee Year of Hope 2025, it has surely been most heartening, uplifting, inspirational and hope-filled to witness our school community’s tremendous response to Team Hope Ireland’s Christmas Shoebox Appeal once again, this Christmas time.
As for many years, St Mary’s has a long and proud tradition of supporting children and families experiencing challenges, poverty, hunger or other types of need, both locally and on a wider, global level at Christmas time, especially. Thus, once again, as the months of November and December 2025 approached, we were encouraged to increase our awareness of the need to be inspired and to give a little kindness. In this, the 15th year of Team Hope Ireland’s Appeal, our school certainly shared that much-needed kindness.
We extend a sincere word of thanks and appreciation to all of our students, families and staff members, for the generosity and kindness demonstrated in supporting this most worthy of appeals. It has been just wonderful to witness the thought, kindness and friendship that has accompanied the compiling, ‘building’ and collating of our shoebox gifts, both physically and online. We know that every single shoebox gift will make a hugely positive difference to the life of each child in Africa and/or Eastern Europe who will receive them, in the weeks ahead.
We were absolutely delighted to welcome Amy and Jim from Team Hope Ireland to St Mary’s in recent days and listen to them share stories and insights into the journey and destination of our shoebox gifts, in the time ahead. It has surely been a privilege to be part of an appeal wherein our school community’s generosity and kindness will deliver gifts straight into the hands of children affected by poverty, across the world. For often, as Amy and Jim shared with us, these shoebox gifts are the only gift that a poor and vulnerable child will receive at Christmas, and the joy and sense of hope that they bring, is incredible. On behalf of Team Hope Ireland, Amy and Jim very graciously and gratefully accepted one hundred and eleven shoeboxes from St Mary’s. They very much acknowledged and appreciated, too, a number of gift boxes ‘built’ and donated online, from within our school community.
As our children and staff members waved farewell to Jim and Amy and our shoebox gifts, our collective thoughts, love and best wishes travel with them, and to the special children across the world who will receive our gifts, this Christmas time.
We trust that by sharing in our photographs and video, you may sense and share in the hope, love, kindness and compassion that this appeal has gifted to our children and staff, and bring you a smile.
We convey a special word of thanks to Mrs McLoughlin and Mrs Prunty who co-ordinated much of the appeal within school over the last weeks and who worked so very hard; thank you, Teresa and Maureen.
Finally, we pay tribute to two of our wonderful Primary Seven students - Sheana and Aaron - for your creativity, dedication and great efforts in compiling our photographs and footage into the video presentation, below.
