Children can smile this Christmas

CARING Coins has already secured presents for 49 children after launching their Christmas Appeal ahead of the AGM in Camlough next week.

Caring Coins helped 217 families last year and founding member Kerrie Havern says this years appeal is helping families in need already.

“The actual launch of the Christmas Appal has really taken off,” Havern said.

“We have already covered all of the children living in refuge in Women's Aid, the children under the care of Bolster and under Home Start that met the criteria they need to have to receive the help from Caring Coins.”

“This year again we have had phenomenal support from new supporters and people who have supported our Christmas campaign over the past three years. We have 49 children on the list and 49 already sponsored and we have 14 further children sponsored for the lists we are yet to receive.

A family is only put on Caring Coins list once, which doesn't sit easy with Kerrie, but the aim is that the charity to provide help for those who are desperate and that the assistance at Christmas then leaves the family in a better footing than they would otherwise.

“It is important we do not become the crutch but we do become the actual support to get them through this year and ready to go into next year in a better standing than they would have if they had all the pressures of Christmas,” Kerrie said.

“It does annoy me that I can't have families that may need repeat support on our list, but we have to be aware of the families that are getting help for the first time and they really need it.”

So the families that Caring Coins have helped would not have got into debt, or spent what little they have on Christmas.

The Newry charity have another eight partnership that have yet to give their lists, which include Davina's Ark, Sure Start South Armagh, Sure Start Newry and Mourne, Home Start Kilkeel and Mourne, Kilkeel Development Association, Cornerstone and Mourne Matters.

I asked Kerrie to explain to those not fully aware of how Caring Coins Christmas Appeal works.

“We do not accept individual and personal pleas, we have 23 partnerships, which we support and also support us,” said Kerrie.

“So say Women's Aid, a Women's Aid case workers will be working with the family, they will be privy to all of the details of the family, including financial standing and they'll know if the family is in genuine poverty and they are not going to have anything for Christmas because this poor lady is just about managing to put food on the table. Once they are in severe financial distress and poverty the case worker can then put that family on my list.

“We will send the case worker back to the house to get a snippet of information about the children what they like and don't like and they we allocate a certain amount per child per age-group and we shop for every child individually to the likes and dislikes their mummy has told us.

“We shop from September and we have already delivered presents for 49 children to the case workers. They take a photo of the presents and show to the mother so she can see what her children are getting for Christmas and her mind is put at ease.

“The caseworker puts the toys into storage the week before Christmas so that no negative influence can effect the items that have been donated.

“So we try and make it personal as much as we can for the child without us knowing any of the individuals. For example if a child has ADHD or ASD were are able to cater to what we know that child will enjoy, with details from the caseworker.”

Once the Christmas shopping is done the Newry charity usually goes to Dunnes to get vouchers, which they donate to Community Advice and Age-well Network for pensioners in the area, which they can use for electricity, gas or food.

The rise of the cost of living has affected most people and while the charity hasn't been untouched Kerrie says that the children on her list will not go without.

“The first year we were a group of mums and we raised £38,000, and we gave that to another appeal to decide where the toys got to where they are needed.,” said Kerrie.

“When we became registered in the first year we had an allotted amount per child, per age-group and the second year because our list grew so much, from 167 to 217 in a year, we had to reduce the amount we spent on children last year. So, this year we have had to put in back to the original allotted amount and it has provide enough to make sure a child smiles for Christmas.”

Caring Coins Annual General Meeting takes place on Monday, October 16, at Trainers Lounge at Dan's Camlough.