By Fiona Baxter

Many thanks to all those who donated to this year’s Link to Hope Shoebox Appeal for families and elderly couples in Eastern Europe. This year  boxes were collected throughout Ongar and surrounding areas over a number of weeks at the end of October and into early November. Individual gifts were combined into yet more filled boxes.

A total of 100 filled shoeboxes have been gifted by our part of Essex. In early November they began their journey to a warehouse in Sussex  by car and trailer. Once at the warehouse the shoeboxes are checked in and  cartoned ready for the long road journey to eastern Europe.   Hopefully they will be distributed in time for Christmas. For many people it may be the only gift they will receive in their life.