Reverse advent calendar

[MrsAukerman]

DH and I are going to do one to give to a foodbank but I'm struggling to work out who to give it to. I'm very wary of some charities and don't want to try to do a nice thing and then find out the charity is a front for something or has questionable morals.

Also, any good ideas for things to put in it?

I was checking into this today and discovered that the food bank I had in mind (Irish so probably no use to you) takes things I would never have thought of like cleaning products and personal hygiene products as well as food. Welcomes those items was the wording.

I was chatting with DS about this a couple of days ago and he thought we should buy lots of ketchup which to be fair would be essential to getting him to eat any strange or new food under those circumstances. I'd have been thinking about nutritional essentials and wouldn't have considered condiments.

Watching with interest!

To get it off to a start (I know advent doesn't start til 1/12 of course) I've got a £1.75 Ikea fleece blanket. Popular as they wash and dry quickly.
I'm going to include sanitary towels, a bar of soap, a deodorant, a pair of warm gloves along with food.
Make sure the tins have ring pulls (which a lot of value stuff doesn't).

We are doing this through November to ensure can get the products to the foodbank in time for them to distribute for Christmas.
Along with 'normal' tins have also got ready to put in nappies, shower gel, toothpaste etc and some christmas puddings/cakes - including gluten free options. Have wrapped everything up with a number on and the boys are unwrapping one item a day.
(And technically advent starts on 27th Nov this year)

Our food bank publishes a list of items they are short of - I tend to order multiples of these items

CHRISTMAS DELIGHTS

CHOCOLATE
TINNED HAM
TINNED BISCUITS
CHRISTMAS CAKES
CHILDREN'S SWEETS
CHRISTMAS PUDDINGS
MINCE PIES (WATCH BBD!)
SOME TOP-UP ITEMS

SPONGE PUDDINGS
LONG LIFE FRUIT JUICE
PACKETS MASH POTATO
TINNED FRUIT COCKTAIL
ALSO

WASHING POWDER/ LIQUID
TOILETRIES GIFT SETS (MALE AND FEMALE)

Just got home and looked at our box so along with above also have a multibag of crisps, some biscuits, breakfast cereal, pasta and rice. I avoided mince pies as all had short sell by date. The tins we put in were recommended on the foodbank webpage so things like fish/veggies/meat/beans.
Be aware the foodbank can get lots of donations now (as well as having had a lot from churches at harvest) so make sure everything has a good use by date on it.

Bought fruit juice too - knew there was something else

Toiletries- deodorant, razors, bodyspray, sanitary protection, nappies, toothpaste, toothbrush, papertowels, loo roll, cleaning spray

Sweet - Biscuits, mince pie, advent calendar, selection box, tins of choc, Xmas pud

Drink- Tea, coffee, hot chocolate (make with water type), squash, fizzy pop

Food- Cereal, tinned veg and fruit,

The Trussell Trust is a major charity running food banks round the country. Website is www.trusselltrust.org and you can search for your nearest food bank and find out what to give.

It is a Christian charity, so if religion bothers you, that could be an issue. But they are properly run and you can be confident the food is going where it's needed.

It puts me off that all their foodbanks are in churches and that is as a vaguely Christian person. A friend recently did something for these people who are local to me. www.boothcentre.org.uk

They aren't all in churches even when run by the Trussel trust, ours is in a community centre, although it tends to be church volunteers who run them anybody is actually able to help if they want to.

I suspect the Trussell Trust ones are often in churches simply because the church provides the room for free. But both our nearest Trussell food banks are in Council-run buildings.

I am doing two of these, the churches may be running the food banks, but as nobody else does and there is no preaching to donors or recipients, I am handing mine in there.
Check the dates for last donations for Christmas boxes my local have just told me the 20th Dec, so I am starting mine 24 days before their date.

www.theguardian.com/society/2016/nov/08/trussell-trust-to-deliver-more-emergency-food-parcels-than-ever-before

If you have any doubts, this article explains why the food banks are so vital. Organisations like Citizens Advice give out the vouchers to people in need.

I now do the occasional online delivery (an idea I got from someone on here) made up of items on the local foodbank's shortage list.

It's been bothering me too as most of them have a religious basis. I really, really don't want to be involved with anything where christianity is being pushed at same time - like Samaritan's purse.
I've ended up putting stuff in the one at the library which simply says "foodbank" and no other details. And i've not asked any questions - bit daft i know but win, win really.

I was talking with a number of people from a variety of church run foodbanks recently (Some trussel trust, some independent) and commented that I had heard of foodbanks that push Christianity in a number of different ways. They were all aghast and assured me that they wouldn't do that as they don't see it as the reason that they are there. I should say, I met them in the context that I'm training to be a vicar, so they would have no reason to lie to me about that.

Sorry I don't have much advice but just wanted to say what a brilliant idea this is! I've Googled food banks in my town and the website there gives a list of things they need. I was thinking of not having an advent calendar for the first time this year so this is a great alternative.

Our local food bank was started a few years ago by a minister in a less well off town nearby after they found a distressed person on their door step.

They called the minister of a large church in our more prosperous town for help and the response was so massive that they were able to establish the food bank in two weeks (and establish ongoing donations to keep it going)

Neither church cares in the least what religion the people using the food bank are. It's not an evangelical service, it's purely philanthropic.

I know that lots of people dislike religion but churches are really good at this kind of thing. They have pre-existing organisational structures and volunteers.

Don't throw the baby out with the bath water.

Just found this thread as I am thinking of doing the same thing. My local sainsburys has a food bank and I wondered if anyone knows where they usually donate to as it doesn't say? Do they just pass on to the nearest local food bank ? I was thinking of putting my items in there maybe a week or two before Christmas so I'll do an item a day but some will be in advance. Or maybe it's best to donate after Christmas as maybe by then they'll need more stuff again ?