Retirement Village Residents Prepare Gift Boxes for Eastern European Children

Residents of a retirement complex have been preparing over 200 shoeboxes filled with Christmas gifts to be sent to children in eastern Europe. These boxes are being dispatched from Stoke Gifford retirement village, located on the outskirts of Bristol, to Ukraine, Moldova, Georgia, or Romania, aiming to arrive in time for the festive season. Last year, the village assembled 145 boxes, and this year they aim to send 250 through the Shoebox Appeal, an initiative managed by the charity Teams4u. The contents included personal care items such as toothbrushes and soap, along with sweets, toys, and a unique homemade teddy bear in each, crafted by the Stoke Gifford ‘Knit and Natter’ group. Viv Warren, who organizes the present packing scheme at Stoke Gifford, stated: “Some people have got really involved and every time they go out they buy a few things.“Then some people fill half a box then give me some money and say ‘can you finish it off for me, [as] we can’t get out’.” Lell Ashley, a resident of the village for 17 months, expressed that she was “moved to take part”. She further commented: “We see all the problems on the news these days about children. It brings tears to your eye…“I hope these [gift boxes] bring a smile to their face.” Jennie Rogers mentioned that she utilized every available moment over the past year to knit a teddy bear, accumulating a total of 57. Great grandmother Maureen Summerhayes conveyed her certainty that the children receiving the gift boxes would “love them”. Additionally, residents contributed funds and organized a raffle to assist with covering the expenses of delivery. Mothers and toddlers who attend the weekly inter-generational meet-ups have also participated in the box-filling efforts. A spokesperson for the charity remarked, “It has been a total village project”.