ONE of Britain?s biggest annual charity projects is launched this week with Tavistock featuring as a major fundraising centre.
Operation Christmas Child is a Christian relief project, which last year delivered more than 1.3 million gift-filled shoeboxes to poverty stricken children in Eastern Europe.
This year the project is extending its aid to include underprivileged children in Mozambique and Kyrgyzstan as well as Bosnia, Serbia and Azerbaijan.
Last year more than 6,500 boxes were donated from the East Cornwall and West Devon region, and this year local organiser Mary Clements hopes to get even more support for the project.
She said: ?People in the area did a fantastic job contributing last year, and our aim is to better this if we possibly can.
?Sadly, there are still large numbers of children in many countries where war, poverty and natural disasters have left them with nothing.?
Mary cannot overemphasise the difference a small gift makes to these children.
?We deal with families living in awful conditions ? in old railway trucks, buildings partly destroyed by shellfire and even with street kids who live in sewers?, she said.
?The gift box brings toys and clothes to brighten difficult lives, and most importantly, hope and love from the person packing the box here in Britain.?
Anyone who would like to help can contact Operation Christmas Child via the website at http://www.samaritanspurse.co.uk">www.samaritanspurse.co.uk or by calling 0870 011 2002.