They have worked in partnership now for 22 years to provide gifts for children at Christmas.

The Ararat community has always been generous to those in need at Christmas and people are invited to join in Operation Santa again this Christmas.

The special Christmas Tree in the Ararat Target store has gift purchase invitation tags hanging from it.

All you need to do is to take a tag off the tree and buy a gift for someone whose age and gender are listed on the tag. At the checkout after payment the gift will be stored by the staff until it is passed on through the church to the Toy Appeal.

If you don't know what to choose you may opt to take a gift voucher application labelled with an amount of money from the tree. You can buy one of those tags instead and a recipient will receive a gift voucher instead.

"The gifts will all be passed on to the Ararat Emergency Relief Committee for their Christmas Toy Fund and will be distributed to local families by the committee along with Christmas hampers," organiser Nancy Curnow said.

"There will also be gifts collected for elderly folk who don't have family around and they will be distributed through Ararat Uniting Care.

"Please don't take the gift you buy home to wrap first because we would only have to unwrap to see what it is so we can match it to just the right child."

Mrs Curnow said organisers only have a few weeks to collect enough gifts so they would appreciate gifts coming in as soon as possible.

If you have any queries please ring Nancy from the Uniting Church on 5352 1168.