Packages to brighten Christmas

Christmas presents bound for children in South East Asia and the Pacific Islands have been accumulating in an Eaton home.

Operation Christmas Child area coordinator Betsie Kruger has been accepting donations of shoebox-sized gifts that will soon be distributed as part of the Samaritans Purse initiative.

Mrs Kruger said the guidelines encouraged donors to include items to wear, love, play with and use at school plus something for personal hygiene and a special item and $9 to cover postage.

About 43,000 boxes were donated by West Australians last year with about 1800 going through Mrs Kruger.

She said while people generally did not find out where their box ended up, she was able to give such information to one South West couple last year.

When a friend of the State manager was at a Vietnam distribution centre, a box that originated in Busselton was spotted and a photograph sent to Mrs Kruger.

“These people pack their boxes and don’t know who it goes to,” Mrs Kruger said.

“When I tracked down and phoned the couple, the guy was over the moon and said ‘I never thought this was going to happen’.”

Mrs Kruger said people could contact her on 0436 226 625 or ozziekruger@gmail.com to pick up an empty shoebox or organise to drop off a filled box.