Every year millions of shoe boxes are lovingly packed, wrapped and dispatched through Operation Christmas Child (OCC). You too can take part by sending a ëpreciousí gift to a child in need this Christmas. The contents may not be valuable but they will bring joy to a disadvantaged child. This annual project enables caring individuals, families, schools, churches, businesses, and other organisations to fill ordinary shoe boxes with small toys, school supplies, sweets, and other gifts for needy children around the world.

Since 1990 the project has brought the joy of Christmas to more than†60 million boys and girls throughout the world. Last year we sent 1.30 million shoe boxes from the UK to children in hospitals, orphanages, Internally Displaced Persons camps, homeless shelters and impoverished neighbourhoods. Log on to the website www.operationchristmaschild.org.uk for full details of how to take part.

Rachael Bonfield tells how one box found brought joy to a little girl

A shoe box from Selby travelled approximately 6,500 miles to Nastya, who lives in a children's home in the village of Asarevichi , Belarus . Nastya is nine years old, she lives, plays and studies in a drafty, 99 year old, converted church building along with 30 other children including Kardia, her seven year old sister. As we approached with outstretched arms, bearing the gift filled shoe box, the grey tones of her pale skin faded as her sparkling eyes and enormous smile shone through. Unable to contain her excitement, Nastya opened the box and gazed at the content, overwhelmed and uncertain of what to look at first. She was elated and loved every gift. It was impossible for our interpreters to hold a conversation with her for over half an hour.

Nastya, a budding singer-songwriter, was particularly delighted with her new, coloured, glitter pens - the perfect tools for her next composition. Eager to perform, she asked to speak to Paul, the cameraman on our team. A few minutes later, she had selected an area in which to stage her latest song.

Nastya told us: ëMummy is in hospital, she will be better soon and come and collect us. Daddy is abroad,í she confidently explained. My heart broke. One of the carers revealed that Nastya and Kardia's mother is an alcoholic living in a rehab centre and her father is in prison. Children are not permitted to visit parents in such rehabilitation centres, it would be too disturbing and although parents are welcome to contact their children, they are generally unable to visit.

Nastya and Kardia, in their ill fitting, second hand clothes, represent tens of thousands of children, each one a victim suffering from the actions of others. By delivering a shoebox packed with gifts to Nastya, Operation Christmas Child has opened a window to the little known circumstances of those left with the legacy of Chernobyl .