Scoil Ghobnatan participated in the Street Angels Gift a Bag Appeal in December 2021 and in December 2022 and December 2023. To say that the response to this charity appeal was absolutely amazing would be an understatement!!!
Street Angels is a charity based in Cork set up by a group of volunteers to help and assist homeless people in Cork City. These volunteers help homeless people all year round but at Christmas time, they launch their Gift a Bag Appeal. Their reasoning for setting up the appeal is simple. They say that ‘a small gift and a bit of hope to a homeless person can make such a difference at any time of the year, but especially at Christmas time’.
The students were given a simple five step guideline to follow:
- Choose a gift bag
- Fill a gift bag
- Add a card
- Drop it off
- Understand how much they have helped
The students were also given a list of sample items that they could include in their gift bag as well as items that they should not include.
The students put in a massive effort and showed how kind, caring and generous they can be. In December 2021, the school donated a marvellous 272 gift bags to the appeal and in December 2022, we donated another marvellous 235 gift bags and in December 2023 a massive 392 gift bags were donated. Hazel, one of the volunteers involved with the Street Angels charity, spoke to the students on the day, explaining to them where their donation was going and how much of an impact their small act of kindness would have on someone else’s life. The students demonstrated great kindness and empathy and were given the opportunity to give back to the community. They became active citizens and learned the importance of small acts of kindness and just how much of an impact these acts can have on other people in the world around us.