The reverse advent calendar is not new but this year it is gaining momentum. Many of us enjoy the countdown to Christmas, opening a door and recieving a treat each day on the countdown to the Christmas Day. But what if Christmas Day is not a day full of treats and presents?
This is where you and I can help bring a smile to another family. I am very lucky and over the year I am gifted lots of things due to blogging. Sometimes I don’t need or use some of the products and I carefully pop these away. Three years ago I contacted a local charity that supports vulnerable families and asked if I could gift someone Christmas. I asked to be matched to a family with older children. So many wonderful people do gift toys to charity at this time of year but older children often get missed out. I was told the general demographics about the family and I put together a hamper of presents. I also popped in the wrapping paper so that mum could wrap the gifts her way and give them to her children on Christmas Day. The presents were not ‘from me’ I enabled another mum to gift her children presents.
In addition to the presents I also provided food vouchers. Therefore the family could go shopping for their Christmas food. They were able to choose what they wanted to make their Christmas a little more festive. Each year Erin and I pop this hamper of gifts down to the local charity and they then pass it on to the family in question.
How to join the reverse advent calendar campaign
This year a group of wonderful money bloggers that I am part of are joining forces to raise awareness of the need for food this Christmas. School holidays are often a crisis point for families already struggling. Childreen are not recieving the school dinner meaning that more food is eaten at home.
One way we can all help is to do a reverse advent calendar. Put simply we are encouraging everyone to find a box. Then each day add a food or toiletry item that will help a family survive the festive season. This box of food can then be donated to your local food bank or charity and it will really make a difference to a local family.
You can read more about the initiative in this post and I urge you to support it. If you start the reverse advent calandar now it gives you time to get it to your local charity. They then have time to distribute it to the family in need. What a wonderful gift you could provide this Christmas for someone who is currently finding things a struggle.
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