Bocholt women pack Christmas presents for children in Ukraine

Bocholt residents still have until 11 December to hand in small gifts for children in Ukraine. The parcels will be transported by lorry to Ukraine in time for Christmas to bring joy to the children there.

On Friday, Bocholt residents Stefanie Clouth and Grit Leopold-Schlütter dropped off 62 gift packages at the Bocholt Volunteer Agency. Teacher Stefanie Clouth had the idea of collecting donations in her local area and successfully mobilised friends, neighbours and colleagues. "I heard about the campaign in our choir group and was immediately enthusiastic", she says. "But I thought: four or five parcels are hardly worth it. So I thought about how I could get more people on board."

Her friends were immediately hooked, reports the Bocholt native: "The response was great. But then the question arose: How are we going to manage it all?" says Clouth. Fortunately, her friends from the choir spontaneously helped out. "They became my Christmas elves and came round to wrap the presents with me."

In fact, so many donations were collected that part of the money was donated to a needy family from Bocholt, says Grit Leopold-Schlütter.

About the campaign

The city of Bocholt, together with the Rotary Club Bocholt, the Bocholt Volunteer Agency and the "Helping Hands" group of the St. Josef parish, has launched the "Bocholt helps Verkhniodniprovsk - we help!" Christmas campaign. The aim is to bring Christmas joy to children in the Ukrainian city of Verkhniodniprovsk, with which Bocholt has maintained a solidarity partnership since 2023, with presents in a shoebox.

All information is available online at: www.bocholt.de