Christmas appeal nets 33,000 boxes of joy

KIND-hearted South Yorkshire folk have boxed up a load of kindness to send to needy children this Christmas.

Operation Christmas Child is sending over 33,000 shoeboxes full of presents from to children facing difficult lives in several countries.

The shoeboxes full of presents have been donated by members of the public, schools, companies, churches and organisations from communities across the county, including Barnsley, Chapeltown, Doncaster, Mexborough, Rotherham, Sheffield and Stocksbridge.

The shoeboxes were checked in the Operation Christmas Child processing centres at Barnsley, Doncaster, Hull, Rotherham and Sheffield and are being sent to children in Belarus, Crimea, Kyrgyzstan, Montenegro, Romania and Ukraine.

"On behalf of Operation Christmas Child and all our volunteers, I just want to send a huge 'thank you' to every single person who donated a shoebox this year" said regional manager Chris Roberts.