Warwick Rotarians thank Sue for her tireless efforts sending shoeboxes to children in need

The Rotarians at the Warwick Rotary Club thanked a kind member of the community this week for her tireless efforts sending shoeboxes to children in need.

The club presented its Meritorious Service Award to Sue Melville on Wednesday (March 13).

She has sent shoeboxes full of small gifts and clothing to children in Eastern Europe over many years.

President Alan Bailey welcomed Sue, who works at Sainsbury’s superstore in Leamington, together with her family and colleagues, to the evening to present the award, which came with a £200 donation to charity.

Moved by films shown in 1989 of children in Romanian orphanages, Sue and her family enrolled friends and family to fill shoeboxes with small, knitted items, toys, clothes, and toiletries, which were sent to give hope to children and the elderly living in desperate straits in countries across eastern Europe – Romania, Moldova and Ukraine.

Sue has visited the area and organises tombolas throughout the year at Sainsbury’s to raise money and collect more items.

It is estimated over the years thousands of boxes have made the journey, and they have taken over her home.

In recent years Sue linked up with the Rotary Shoebox scheme, packing and sending over 200 at a time.

She also rallies round the staff at Sainsburys and their children to help pack the boxes, as well as her own family and grandchildren – Sophia and Florence Halford.

In 2022, pupils from primary schools in Leamington were also recognised as Rotary Stars for making, collecting, decorating and also helping to pack shoe boxes for Sue’s continued work.

The Rotary Shoebox has the motto “children helping children” and during the award presentation, pictures were shown of children in Warwick and Leamington packing boxes, and the children in Ukraine, Moldova and Romania receiving their box of small gifts with the donor’s name on it.

Concluding the evening, Rotarians congratulated Sue and her team for their hard work.

For more information go to: www.rotaryshoebox.org