Reverse Advent Calendars for Foodbanks

[AnotherYearToGo]

Hi

Am interested in views for if I have a fixed-ish amount for how much I will spend to contribute to a reverse Advent calendar for my local food bank, is it better to get more lower cost (eg own brand items) to reach more people, or spend the same and get fewer higher price (eg branded or higher range items) more treat/indulgent versions from the list esp as for Christmas. Or a mix depending on product...

(For anyone who doesn't know what a reverse Advent calendar is, here is an example https://www.thebayfoodbank.org.uk/advent

Your local food bank will prob also have a similar scheme

Ask your food bank what they need. You might find that they need non food stuff like toiletries too

Either a mix or upgrade. People annoy me who choose to donate to food banks and and then just buy the cheap stuff they wouldn't eat themselves these are usually the same people who like to tell everyone how they donate to foodbanks

I read a story a few years ago that had been written by someone whose family had used a food bank when she was a child. She said that one Christmas, someone donated a really good quality piece of meat to them. She couldn’t believe that someone thought enough of them to donate it, because usually they received cheap, shop brand stuff. It’s something that made such an impression on that young child that she wrote about it years later as an adult.
And her story left such an impression on me, I’ve never forgotten it.

I run a food bank. It’s all welcome. When I am buying for us - we feed hundreds of people a week - I do go for budget items, unless we have had complaints or negative feedback about a particular item. At Christmastime we love receiving slightly nicer / more festive versions of the things we need - for us those are things like nice soaps and hot chocolates.

I am assuming the items they have listed for the reverse Advent calendar, which includes toiletries, is what they need

By lower price, I meant the same as I would buy for myself ordinarily, but because the list includes stuff I wouldn't usually get to like tinned meat I wasn't sure what was best

Thanks, I think I will go with a mix of ordinary and a few treat level stuff

I’d get nicer, treat stuff for Christmas. Must be miserable always making do with basics.

Thanks, this is really helpful

I'll probably get ordinary lower price background ingredient type stuff like rice and then treat level toiletries, jams, chocolate type stuff

I agree, but there is probably a point at which it is better that two people benefit from buying too nice items rather than just one person gets a really really fancy one

But other people will buy stuff to. Its like people who get them tags from the tree in dunelm and instead of taking 1 and buying some nice gifts take 10 and buy a load of cheap tat and thinking they should be greatful for it. Just focus on doing something nice for others and actually making a person's Christmas instead of focusing on feeding everyone. Nobody is going to starve.

I’d buy a mix. Some things, rice, pasta, beans, toilet roll are the same whether own brand or not (I’m comfortably well off and I buy own brands of all of those).

But nice brands where it matters, feminine hygiene products, toothpaste, chocolate and biscuits, cereal, etc.

Again, I am not talking about getting tat, just wondering where the point is between getting two nice things or one extra nice things

Yeah, this is what I think I will do thanks

I’d get extra nice for Christmas. I’m not talking about Fortnums but just a better treat- eg taste the difference range, or M&S, or good toiletries. Or whatever the person has asked for, if a giving tree. The pasta etc is a staple and not a Christmas treat. I would give food banks money to buy their staple stuff.

If you are getting 'nice stuff for Christmas' please don't wait until a couple of days before Christmas to donate, which is what often happens with the reverse advent calendars. As a food bank volunteer it is really frustrating when we don't have anything like that to give out in December, then are left with loads of it in Jan. Also, the items we tend to run short of are the ones which are more expensive per unit as people want to stretch their money and donate lots of items so get things like pasta or rice pudding which they can buy lots of, rather than sponge puddings or toiletries which you might only get one or two of for the same price.

Thanks, yes our foodbank is running it in November and is asking for everything no later than 12 Dec for that reason

Thanks yes, this is what I mean by there must be a balance point, good stuff but not gold encrusted!

Or donate money easier

I give money monthly, a set amount, often I add extra stuff at Lidl, normally shower gel or tea, the food stuff tends to be more of.
The need seems all year round

I buy 14 items a week (one a day for me and my husband) of the most needed items in the 'bank the food' app for our local foodbank. This week I have donated chocolate advent calendars in addition to my normal, and in the first week of December it will be Christmas food items in addition and Easter eggs in March.