Shoeboxes

It’s shoebox appeal season again so please take a moment to consider these points:

- I have seen with my own eyes how very rich children are given showboxes for attending “the right church” (evangelical) while very poor children have received nothing because they attend Catholic church or no church. Boxes do not necessarily go to the neediest children.

- It would be better for the environment and local economies for toys to be bought for the kids out in their communities rather than from supermarkets in rich countries.

- When the boxes do reach needy kids, we should remember that children with little or no access to dental care do not need sweets and in certain urban areas, many people already have a high consumption of sugar.

I used to be a big believer in shoeboxes but my opinion has changed big-time over the years.