26 November, 2019
With Christmas season just around the corner, students at Ormiston Venture Academy have been exploring ways to build 2018’s successful Shoebox Appeal.
Following the launch this year’s Shoebox Appeal in assemblies, form groups and their Tutors have been busily packing items ready to provide some Christmas cheer for less fortunate young people in Eastern Europe, Africa and as far away as Haiti.
The Samaritans ‘Operation Christmas Child’ is where shoe boxes full of gifts are created and then delivered to countries with children living in poverty as a Christmas present. These will often be the only gifts they will receive. A shoebox gift provides a connection between different cultures, backgrounds and nationalities. It bridges the gap between someone who has something to give, and someone who can’t wait to receive it.
Students at Venture were told that over one million shoeboxes sent out from the UK and Ireland last year, 5,000 UK volunteers help to prepare the shoeboxes for delivery and fourteen different countries will receive these valued gifts in 2019. The Ukraine was the final destination for last year, as the Samaritans report back to schools and organisations, together with a photograph of a child opening their box.
Over 30 shoeboxes have again been completed jointly by the four colleges and will be delivered to the local drop off point in Great Yarmouth. Students were delighted to be involved in something so interesting that will bring so much joy to so many young people in parts of the world they may never visit.
Kathryn said: “It is so important because so many children don’t receive presents in some parts of the world and I felt it was an ideal opportunity to give something back at a very special time of year.”
Mrs Homer said: “After showing a video of Operation Christmas Child to my class, I asked the students how they think the children in the film felt. One student replied, ‘It looks like it was the best day of their life. ‘
“I am so proud of the students, as they really thought about what items to include, that would make a difference. They even offered to include prizes they had won during the school year. They were so keen to include a hand-written note and insisted on taking a group photograph to place inside their shoebox so the child can see who sent it.”
Category: News
Tags: Christmas 2019, East region, Operation Christmas Child, Ormiston Venture Academy, Shoeboxes
