The St John’s community has supported the Mustard Seed Relief Missions charity for over 15 years to help underprivileged children throughout Eastern Europe by inviting children and families to think of others by filling a shoebox with gifts for a boy or girl this Christmas. The appeal is called ‘Love-in-a-box’; for more information please see http://www.msrm.org.uk/liab.html
Approximately 160 boxes were collected this year, containing a range of gifts such as toy cars or dolls, small jigsaws, sweets, stationery, toiletries, hat/gloves, marbles, costume jewellery, sewing kit, travel games and soft toys. This British charity collects the shoeboxes and distributes them amongst children in Eastern Europe who would otherwise receive little Christmas cheer.
Dr Sarah Maxwell, Head of RS, who organises the school’s collection of shoeboxes, explained, “Last year, the charity distributed 40,000 boxes to disadvantaged children in Moldova and it is great to think some of them came from St John's. Our pupils enjoy deciding what to put in their shoebox and imagining the child who will receive it - probably the only gift he/she will receive this Christmas.” One Form 2 child commented, “Even though we will never meet any of these children, it is lovely to know that we have helped bring them some happiness when they might not have had much at all at Christmas.”
