What to give at a harvest festival?

[heateallthebuns]

Do people still give shoe boxes with canned and cupboard food in? Do they still cover them in wrapping paper?

It's my first year as a mum in a church school and I haven't been to a harvest festival since I was at school. Not all the mums actually go to the church and I've only just met them so I'm not sure who to ask. I asked the secretary and she said, oh just bring anything you have they'll be very pleased with anything.

Ask a Mum with a child in an older year what people usually bring.

The answer will depend on where the food goes. Our school collection goes to the local food bank so they want tins and packets rather than fruit and veg.

If the collection is for local elderly residents they might want fruit flowers or chocolates.

Fine out where the collection is going.

Ours is generally given loose and put in a display in the hall, a covered box would mot look out of place but would not be the norm. We are guided as to what the food bank needs.

I have never seen shoeboxes used.

In recent years, the schools my DC have attended have included a list from a foodbank of items wanted, and I just sent in one or two things from that list. I vaguely miss the days when a I was small and we used to take in apples from the garden. But long-life items are what recipients prefer.

I think your school secretary is spot on. This is about giving, not display.

They're doing this at my DC's school this year.

The letter about it says a decorated shoe box with some food. School is supporting the Trussel Trust food banks, they've included a list of suggested food, stuff like - uht/dried milk, sugar, long life fruit juice, tinned foods, dried pasta/rice, pasta sauce, cereal, jam, tea, coffee, biscuits.

Obviously just a few things from that list, as one of each wouldn't fit in a shoebox.

At my ds's school, decorating shoe box was one of the craft homework for ks1.
They collected food items on the different days. some people bring in just a can of fruit, some give more.
Our school gives them to local elderly people, delivered by the children, so fresh fruits, flowers are ok as well.

Our kids school has asked for food bank items and new men's underwear and socks. Will rummage around as bound to have quite a few things. It's an inner London school with many families in receipt of food bank stuff.

I try to drop something in the supermarket food bank trolley most visits especially if the kids are with me.

Our school have asked for cereals, sugar, baked beans, tinned tomatoes, corned beef, tinned tuna and fruit squash.

At my DD's schools, they were asked to take in tins of food, or toiletries, which would be donated to the food bank. Parents were tactfully asked not to send in baked beans as the food bank had more than enough! There were no decorated boxes.

I volunteer for a charity that sometimes receives the proceeds of a harvest festival collection from local churches. There is, occasionally, a decorated shoes box of stuff, but it is always unpacked in the office before distribution.

Our school is asking for donations which will be made into hampers for people to buy after school. Then the money raised will be donated - but I don't know where. Think that is a rubbish idea, as the hampers will sell for less than the value of them and surely the whole point is that the food goes to people who need it?