A charity which fills shoeboxes with gifts for the needy has notched up 17,600 just from Kent!

Operation Christmas Child is sending a big thank you to the people of Kent, who have responded amazingly to their annual appeal.

The aim is to donate gift-filled shoeboxes for children facing challenging lives in a host of countries.

More than 17,600 Christmas shoeboxes full of presents have been handed in by members of the public, schools, companies, churches and organisations from communities across the county.

These include Whitstable, Tunbridge Wells, Sittingbourne, Sheerness, Sevenoaks, Sandwich, Rochester, Ramsgate, Manston, Margate, Maidstone, Isle of Sheppey, Hythe, Herne Bay, Gravesend, Gillingham, Faversham, Folkestone, Dymchurch, Dover, Deal, Dartford and Cranbrook.

Charles & Carolyn Pickford, area coordinators for Operation Christmas Child, said: “It has been a great response, particularly at a time when people are finding resources stretched due to the credit crunch.

“Our volunteers collected the shoeboxes from throughout Kent and took them to the warehouse in Ashford where we checked, packed and loaded them on to lorries for transportation to their destinations. This year the Kent shoeboxes are going to children in Bosnia, Romania, Serbia and Ukraine.

“On arrival they are distributed by local organisations, charities and churches to children aged between three and 14, many of whom are in orphanages, street shelters, hospitals, displaced persons camps or whose families are facing hardship.

"It is clear from the items we see in the shoeboxes, and from little personal messages sometimes included, that many people take great care in choosing what to send. Their kindness shines through.”

Ian Macleod, head of operations and logistics, added: “This year we set a total UK target of 1.25 million shoeboxes which, with the economic downturn biting, we thought might be difficult to reach.

"We are handling the last lorry loads right now and, while we are still counting the final figures, I believe we will get at least 1.2 million, a terrific level of contribution from the public.

"Every shoebox makes a real difference to a child, often more than the donor can imagine, so I want to thank every single person in Kent who packed an Operation Christmas Child shoebox.”