West Sussex charity witnesses joy of Christmas deliveries as Shoebox Appeal 2025 reaches isolated villages

The delivery was part of the Shoebox Appeal 2025, which has seen 25,281 Christmas parcels go out to Ukraine, Moldova, Bulgaria and Romania.

The charity, based in Ferring, said this year's appeal had been a great success, thanks to everyone who donated shoeboxes and volunteered their time to help pack them for safe shipping.

Lisa Hector, general manager, was part of the team visiting Bulgaria, where they witnessed first hand the conditions families and elderly people are living in in Eastern Europe.

Some villages they visited are so remote, the people living there see very few outsiders. In one area, a kindergarten had only seven children present, while a nearby school that once had 200 pupils now supports just 49 children, drawn from surrounding villages.

Many elderly residents live alone, some rarely leaving their homes, particularly during winter months.

In one village, an elderly woman said it was the first Christmas present she had received. She was visibly overwhelmed as she unwrapped her shoebox contained gardening items. She said it was her 'greatest joy' that someone she had never met had thought of her.

Lisa said the shoeboxes did more than provide practical gifts — they carried a simple message 'you are seen, you are remembered, and you matter'.

Link to Hope’s work continues because ordinary people choose to show extraordinary kindness. Find out how you could support at linktohope.co.uk or visit one of their four charity shops, in Ferring, Goring, Worthing town centre and Rustington.