To return my winning hamper?

[Vap0]

ADVICE NEEDED BEFORE COLLECTION TOMORROW PLEASE

So
We won the hamper from the preschool nativity
It’s huge
And the 2nd hamper I’ve won in a week 🙈
The first one (from works Xmas do) we are giving to grandparents for Xmas
This other one is ginormous, there is so much stuff, we do not have a big enough house for all this stuff 🙈, I don’t want to seem ungrateful but we just don’t need it and want to do something better with it than take it home.

Here are some options that I can see

1. Ask them to give it to the staff to take home if they are short of any gifts for staff
2. Ask them to hold another raffle in the new year - not sure how easy this would be - surely a sign on the door would suffice?
3. Take it to the food bank - removing booze and donating that to the village hall raffle tomorrow night for the brass band carol concert we are going to.
4. Take it to the food bank but ask preschool to take the booze for staff.

One massive thing to remember here though is that the staff all donated this stuff for the hamper so I don’t want to appear ungrateful by offering it back to them 🙈

I just don’t want to come across as ungrateful or rude

Please help

I’m open to other suggestions too 😊

Donate to Foodbank, if there are any luxury products they will be a lovely treat for anyone who can't normally afford them. Food banks don't normally accept alcohol, so you may be as well to take any out.

Our food bank is asking for Christmas stuff, why shouldn't disadvantaged people have nice things as well as the basics?

I would take out some stuff to use yourselves, you did win it and should have some benefit. Donate food to hampers and keep the booze to donate to tombolas over the year.

Foodbank of if you can find something like a women's refuge, I'm sure the ladies and their children would appreciate the extra treats.

buy yourself a lottery ticket today as you seem to be on a winning streak!

deffo ...

Our food bank is asking for Christmas stuff, why shouldn't disadvantaged people have nice things as well as the basics?

Nobody is disputing nice v. basics. However, several foodbanks report that they are awash with mince pies and relatively shortdated seasonal items when they're in critical need of tinned meat, tinned fruit, teabags, milk etc.

It's always worth contacting the local foodbank to ask what they would value. My local ones have a list of critical (no stores or imminently about to run out) and 'less critical but still very low stocks' items.

Awww what a generous offer- and not at all virtue signally- honestly some people!

I've done some work with food banks- I appreciate they may differ but I'm honestly really surprised at reports of foodbanks turning away long life stuff like chocolates. My experience was that they prefer branded stuff not value and that they are often swamped with beans and soup. Also that pulses, dried rice etc aren't very useful as lots of recipients dont have access to a kitchen or don't have cooking skills.

They certainly don't want just basics. I do a little foodbank shop alongside my own each week and I know they always welcome ketchup, mayo, nutella, nice jam etc- and sugar. Why wouldn't they enjoy the treats- and pickles and chutney etc can make a basic dinner so much tastier.

The food bank might be able to raffle it in aid of funds. Or know someone in particular need. It needn't be limited to simply adding the food to a parcel.

I can understand food banks maintaining they need the basics otherwise it'd be all mince pies and advent calendars and they still need the standard beans etc to get people through but surely if you take in some posh jam, some nice biscuit crackers. A bit of chutney etc it can just be added to someone's bag and give them a treat. It's really sad to think people think / know food bank would turn away "treats" at this time of year especially

Option 3

its a bit late for foodbank donations for xmas, i'd find a local charity or ring a church group , i'm sure they know someone who could really do with such a wonderful gift.. my dad volunteers with a charity that has been distributing extra fuel, mnormal food parcels and toys/ hampers and goodies all week, so kindly donated by so many people, and officially their last day is saturday morning, however he also operates their emergency fund, and so i know he will likely be getting calls up to xmas eve.Its so nice of you to think about passing this on, seems a shame to break it up into bits, there must be organisations in your area could help, i'd just get on the phone or maybe tell what area you are in and people could suggest an organisation.

@vap0 - it's lovely that you want to make a difference. Food banks/Salvation Army do want Christmas food. I was given a box of food from the Salvation Army this year and it had mince pies and a Christmas pudding - we were thrilled! Toys/games also make a massive difference. I was given some lovely presents for my children - I really can't thank all those that donate enough.

Take the items you like, donate any booze you don't want to the village hall raffle, and take the rest to the food bank.

Gosh I’ve taken some flack here

I was just looking at the best way of giving something back without appearing rude.
I spoke with a friend at the church but they have already done their Xmas lunch for the homeless.
Preschool is still open, I was of course very grateful when they told me we had won. I’ll collect it tonight and do option 3, booze to the raffle and the rest to the food bank.

Yes of course there are lots of items I could make use of, when I looked I briefly saw a few bottles of wine and a big tub of celebrations, other packs of sweets plus a whole lot more which I didn’t really notice. I just want to give it away to others who are more in need. I would see it as being greedy keeping it as we are thankfully in a good position at the moment and there are so many who are not.

Thanks all for the comments. Happy Christmas

Food bank.
Don’t bother taking out the alcohol though

Foodbank is a great idea - especially as the numbers using them this Xmas compared to last, are going to be so high. Im sure you will be making some less fortunate people happy with the donation. Merry Xmas

@Mooey89
Foodbanks dont give out alcohol.

Don’t bother taking out the alcohol though !!!!!

I don't know if you are aware that all foodbanks have a no alcohol policy. Not just for the clients but staff too! There are all sorts of reasons for this, not least the care due to people who may be recovering alcoholics.

Yes, we may cheat and take Christmas puddings in, I usually go out and buy various alcohol free ones and put them in 'stock'. As volunteers we never buy any for our homes, then as and when they come in we pay for an alcohol free one and take the 'normal' one home.. or gift them to people who support us! We get a lot, them and mince pies etc.

I’ve often got a raffle ticket fo things, not because I want the prize but because I want to support whatever they are raising money for. So I don’t think OP is unusual in doing that

Give food to the food bank
Donate alcohol to village band concert

I would go with the food bank minus the booze option too just because people are at the bottom of life dosent mean they aren't entitled to a little bit of luxury at Christmas I put some toiletries in the trolley at asda last week and went for branded shampoos and toothpaste

The supermarket I work in has a trolley all year round for food bank. At this time if year it also has one for a chosen other local charity. Some years it may be an animal charity this year it happens to be a dv refuge so toys, clothes and xmas treats are very much wanted. Try something like that.

Food bank users are as entitled to nice stuff at Christmas as anyone else. I bought 20 selection boxes for ours, they were delighted.

When I volunteered at the food bank they had cupboards full of this kind of stuff they couldn’t give out.

I just want to give it away to others who are more in need

I thought it was because it is massive and you have no room for it all?

Why do you think a food bank wouldn’t want this stuff sara? Do people who are experiences financial hardship lose their taste buds/enjoyment of a more luxurious food item

Our local food bank said no sugar. Apparently if you're poor/fallen on hard times, you aren't allowed to bake or have sugar in your tea/coffee. There was a bit of a backlash locally when they said no chocolate advent calendars - they backed down on that one but not sure about the sugar.

So yes, they could well say no to luxury items but I hope they won't.

Minty Mabel those statements are not mutually exclusive, she doesn’t have room for it and wants to make sure that someone benefits. Otherwise she could bin it.