THE people of Oxfordshire have been thanked by a national charity for filling 18,100 shoeboxes with Christmas gifts for vulnerable children abroad.

Shoeboxes packed for Operation Christmas Child were checked by teams of volunteers at the charity’s processing centres in Abingdon, Witney and Thame.

The gift boxes were loaded on to trucks earlier this month and are being distributed in towns in Bosnia, Montenegro and Romania in time for Christmas.

Packed with toys, educational items, sweets and other gifts, the parcels will bring joy to children living in orphanages, children’s homes, street shelters and hospitals.

Roger Fenton, regional manager for Operation Christmas Child, said: “People in Oxfordshire have been brilliant.

“Times are quite tough for many, but they have still gone out of their way to pack a shoebox.

“The encouraging comments our volunteers get when collecting shoeboxes from schools, churches, businesses, and from people handing them at the warehouse, remind us there are many kind-hearted people out there.

“We see thoughtfulness from all ages and walks of life, and it is very humbling. I wish each of these people could see the impact their shoeboxes have on the children who get them.

“It really makes a difference and brings joy and happiness to children who have very difficult lives.

“Although most of our lorries are already on their way, do not worry – you have not missed out.”

Mr Fenton said there was a new online service allowing people to fill up a shoebox before December 25.

He said: “All they need to do is visit the website operationchristmaschild.org.uk/ shoeboxworld “Once their virtual shoebox has been created online, volunteers in our warehouses fill actual shoeboxes with the selected items and prepare them to be shipped to one of the countries where shoeboxes are given to children in need, for example around January 7, which is the Russian Orthodox Christmas.”

This year shoeboxes came from Oxford, Abingdon, Didcot, Wallingford, Wantage, Witney, Bicester, Banbury, Burford, Chipping Norton, Blewbury, Faringdon, Thame, Watlington, and Henley.

The charity sends shoeboxes with gifts to children in the following countries: Belarus, Bosnia, Haiti, Kenya, Kosovo, Kyrgyzstan, Liberia, Montenegro, Mozambique, Romania, Serbia, Swaziland, Ukraine and Zimbabwe.

It is the biggest annual project run by Samaritan’s Purse, the evangelical Christian aid charity.

affrench@oxfordmail.co.uk