Still time for shoebox Christmas presents

East Anglian Daily Times: Christmas parcels delivered by the TEECH charity to needy families in a previous year The Ipswich-based charity is going out to Moldova and Romania again this year delivering Christmas shoebox parcels for children and families.Christmas parcels delivered by the TEECH charity to needy families in a previous year The Ipswich-based charity is going out to Moldova and Romania again this year delivering Christmas shoebox parcels for children and families. (Image: Archant)

There is still time to assemble and donate Christmas presents to help maket it a better Christmas for needy children in eastern Europe.

The Ipswich-based TEECH charity organisation will be heading out to Moldova and Romania, before Christmas, to deliver hundreds of shoe box gifts for children - presents which have been put together by local church, school and other groups.

TEECH will be visiting several schools and orphanages, delivering food and other Chrimast gifts, as well as winter clothes and blankets.

TEECH secretary Holly Field said already several hundred boxes of gifts had been donated, but they still had some way to go to reach last years’s total of 1,500 boxes..

Generally there are more gifts donated for girls, so boxes for boys would be particularly welcome this time.

Gifts for shoe boxes can include soft toys, balls, musical instruments, educational items such as pencile or pens, personal items such as shower gel or toothbruhes, food items, sweets, gloves or scarfs.

Any food items should have a use by date of at least six months too.

Holly Field said: “We still have the opportunity to take more. These gifts make a difference. We would appreciate more boxes for boys, in particular.

“We are hoping for a push for a few more.”

No war-related, dangerous or fragile items should be included, she sad.

Each box must be marked with boy, girl and the age group and a donation of £1 per box is required towards transportation costs.

It should also be marked if it is a food parcel for a family.

To find out more go to www.teech.org

Parcels need to be ready by Friday December 12.

Earlier in the year a party of local volunteers and trades people went out to Moldova and installed toilets and hot anc cold water in to a school which had previously just had holes in the ground.

TEECH- Telecoms Eastern European Challenge - has been helping with projects in Eastern Europe for many years.

It took four days travelling each way, by coach and lorry, and then eight days working on the project in the village school at Balanesti, Moldova.

Holly Field, one of the organisers, said many of the volunteers had given up their holidays to take part.