News
Team Hope charity exceeds gift giving target
A KIND GESTURE: The team of volunteers behind the Killarney and South Kerry Team Hope Shoebox Appeal which this year received approximately 4,000 boxes thanks to the kindness of the public. Photo: Michelle Crean
By Francis Foley
The Team Hope charity has outdone itself again this year - by collecting more gift boxes for under privileged children abroad - than they did last year.
Due to the overwhelming support of the people of Killarney, at least 4000 gift boxes have been collected.
Team Hope in Killarney, headed by Margaret Scully and her son Chris, are proud to see an improvement in the amount of boxes they normally collect.
This achievement is made even more special as the charity, which covers the Killarney and south Kerry areas, collects gift items donated by the public and creates gift boxes made up of toys, clothes and other useable goods that are then sent to areas of the world that have the greatest need, is also celebrating its 10thanniversary in operation.
There are restrictions on what can and can’t be sent to the children, as some items that may seem harmless, could lead to unintended negative environmental or cultural effects. These items could include anything from certain sweets to batteries.
The objective of the charity could not be met without the great effort and time given to the Team Hope cause by its volunteers which include, Josie Real, Dave O’Conner,
Monica O’Shea, Flick Golding, Laura Ogiema, John and Kathleen Wrenn, Kitty Murphy and many others.
It is because of people like this and the continuing kindness of the people of Killarney and the surrounding areas that nearly 24,000 boxes have been produced in South Kerry alone.
Margaret this week expressed her gratitude to the people of Killarney for their donations.
“I’d like to shout out a huge thank you to all the people of South Kerry for their generosity, every man, woman and child that has made up a box plus all the wonderful volunteers for their time, and the O’Brien family for the use of their building for our work,” she told the Killarney Advertiser.
Chris also added thanks to all the schools and businesses that have helped Team Hope to keep going.