A HALSTEAD woman is appealing for residents to pack Christmas shoe boxes for children in Ukraine, as part of an annual appeal.

Started by Samaritan’s Purse in 1993, the Operation Christmas Child project collects shoebox gifts filled with fun toys, school supplies and hygiene items.

The boxes are created and donated before the charity delivers them to children in need around the world.

Many communities and schools across the UK take part in the project, donating decorated shoe boxes filled without age-appropriate gifts.

Tidings Hill resident Rachel Morris has lived in Halstead for 25 years and has been organising the Christmas shoe boxes in town every year for more than two decades.

The boxes are shipped abroad at the end of NovemberThe boxes are shipped abroad at the end of November (Image: Rachel Morris) Last year, Rachel held her first ‘packing party’, which saw locals packing Christmas shoe boxes together with a guest speaker from Samaritan’s Purse.

Rachel has now revealed she will be repeating the event this winter and will hold this year’s Christmas packing party on November 9.

“Samaritan’s Purse is a Christian organisation who deliver boxes to children who have nothing," she said.

“Those children may never have received a gift before and having met a young lady who did receive one, they feel loved that someone has thought about them . It can be life-changing.

“I have been supporting them by packing boxes for over 20 years.”

The boxes are age and gender specific, ensuring all children get what they want and needThe boxes are age and gender specific, ensuring all children get what they want and need (Image: Rachel Morris) This year’s Christmas shoe boxes will be stored until they are shipped across Europe, including Ukraine, Bosnia and Romania.

“Each box has care items, toothbrushes, soap, flannel, hairbrush, a wow toy, small fillers, a ball, games, colouring, pens pencils,” Rachel added.

“I have several people knitting and sewing items such as pencil cases, bags, purses, hats gloves and more to put in the boxes and other people collect things throughout the year myself included.”

The boxes cost £5 each to post, which can be paid online and, alternatively, Samaritan’s Purse offers an online packing service.

More information and leaflets can be found at St Andrews church, along with empty boxes and filler ideas.

Rachel said: “I think it's such a lovely idea to give to a child who has nothing and who is going to appreciate the gift.

“You've only got to see a video to see their joy.

“There're some lovely stories from people who have delivered the boxes about the right box finding the right child.”

For more information, visit samaritanspurse.org