Churches throughout Ararat are gathering toys, pens, exercise books, and special gifts to fill shoe boxes to send to kids who don't get much at Christmas.

At St Andrew's Uniting Church the gifts were blessed by Rev Colin Honey with children from Botswana and South Africa presenting boxes that have been filled by the people at St Andrew's.

The church will also pay the freight costs so that soon the boxes will wing their way to appreciative families.

"At Christmas we make gifts to send to needy families in Ararat," Colin Honey said.

"But we are so much better off than so many kids overseas. Maybe these boxes can remind them that we care. Maybe we can make a difference."