Melissa Joan Hart turned her baby shower on Friday (29Jun12) into a charity event by asking guests to donate toys or books to a non-profit organisation in lieu of gifts for the mum-to-be.

The former Sabrina, The Teenage Witch star and her husband Mark Wilkerson will welcome the third addition to their family this autumn (12) and Hart was joined by friends, including fellow actresses Soleil Moon Frye, Yvette Nicole Brown, Kellie Martin, and her Melissa and Joey TV co-star Taylor Spreitler, at The Little Door restaurant in Los Angeles last week to mark the occasion.

Guests granted her kind-hearted request and brought unwrapped presents for donation to Operation Shower, which provides gifts for parents-to-be in the U.S. military.

Hart tells People.com, "After two precious babies and a successful career, I didn't want people to spend money on me and the baby. We wanted to help out families that needed a hand and decided to donate baby goods to military families".

And Hart admits she can't wait to meet her new baby - because this time she and her husband have decided to keep the tot's sex a secret.

She tells People.com, "We always wanted the mystery the other two times around but the first time we gave into pressure from everyone and curiosity, and the second time our ultrasound technician gave it away before we had a chance to stop them. "I'm anticipating meeting this baby more than the other two before.

I can recognise every little movement this time and I'm already in love". Hart and Wilkerson, who wed in 2003, are also parents to sons Mason, six, and Braydon, four.