LAST year, 3,145 children received a special Christmas gift thanks to the kindness of the people of West Cork.

In an area covering from Clonakilty to Castletownbere and Macroom, schoolchildren, members of the Irish Country Women’s Association, Foróige, community groups, and individuals, contributed to one of the locally organised Christmas Shoebox Appeal.

Sally Daly, who is based in Skibbereen, is one of the local coordinators for Team Hope, which has since 2010, delivered over 2.8m shoebox gifts, and this year is likely to exceed the 3m mark.

‘Often these gift-packed shoeboxes are the only festive presents that children living in poverty receive,’ said Sally.

From the beginning of November until November 10th, Sally’s base of operations at the showgrounds at Mill Road in Skibbereen really does resemble Santa’s grotto.

It is here that she, and her many volunteers, check the boxes that have been donated for either a young boy, or a girl, and get them packed for transportation.

Anyone who wants to donate a gift box, or items to be included in the gift boxes, can contact Sally directly on 087 6854489.

Team Hope in Dublin will ultimately decide the destination for the cheerfully wrapped presents, but Sally said the West Cork boxes tend to be distributed to Eastern Europe and African countries.

Sally said she cannot stress enough how grateful she is for ‘fillers,’ such as small soft toys, because when everything else is worn out, or gone, the children will still have their little soft toy to take to bed with them.

When it comes to filling the boxes, Sally said she and her volunteers are looking for the four Ws: wash, wear, write and wow!

In the wash column, Sally said it is good to include soap, face cloths, a toothbrush and toothpaste, but no shampoo, conditioner, or bubbles, because one spill will destroy not just one but many of the stacked boxes, so they cannot be included.

For wear, Sally suggested people include small items of clothing such as socks, underwear, pyjamas, t-shirts, and hair accessories, such as scrunchies, for girls.

Write: please do include a copy book or a colouring book, pencils, crayons or markers.

Then, for the Wow, people can include something that will give the children great joy like a little doll, or dinky car, a ball, a skipping rope, anything to have, to hold, and to play with.

Sally is appealing to people to please ensure that these items will fit into a shoebox because things like medium to large size teddy bears will not fit in with all of the other items.

Deborah Lowry, the CEO of Team Hope, said: ‘A simple shoebox, that is often packed by children for children, carries not only toys and treats but also the invisible gifts of love and hope. That kindness, travelling across oceans, reminds a child that they are not forgotten – that someone, somewhere cares.’