Backward Advent Calendar

During my childhood, we struggled financially. I was from a one parent family and my mum did here best to provide for us all. She always had a job and yet occasionally she had to make the difficult decision to either heat the house or put food on the table. Therefore we sometimes had to use food banks.

I remember one occasion I was about 7 and we were nominated by someone in the local community to receive a Christmas hamper, organised by my local church. This was full of bits of food that we would have otherwise not been able to have all donated by local people. I will never forget how happy my mum was and how much she appreciated it.

Therefore this Christmas I have decided to do a backwards advent calendar. I have a lovely chocolate advent calendar from Kinnerton (check out my post about my personalized advent calendar here) and I will only allow myself to take my daily chocolate, if I buy an item to put into a bag for a local food bank or other charitable organisation.

The item only has to be a 50p tin of beans or a tube of toothpaste. I wont notice that I am spending buying things for someone else but after 24 days I will have a bag of items that could help make someone Christmas.

On Christmas eve or Christmas morning I will donate my bag of items to someone less fortunate. My local Salvation Army always open their doors on Christmas day to provide a meal for those who cannot afford one or will be alone at Christmas. They also run a weekly food bank and offer a warm meal for those in need. Therefore I think it would be lovely to help them by donating some food while I am in a position to offer some.