Salisbury Foodbank begins reverse Christmas advent
Food insecurity is on the rise in the area, the Foodbank manager has told us
Salisbury Foodbank has started it’s reverse Christmas advent calendar which helps support people struggling in our community.
Throughout November, we’re asked to donate items such as Christmas puddings, tinned vegetables and tubs of chocolate.
These items then help make up the Christmas packages the Foodbank sends out over the festive period, which can be as many as 300.
Foodbank manager Maria Stevenson explained why the advent happens in November, rather than December.
“We're asking for it to happen in November rather than December, and that's quite important because that will give us time to sort through the donations, dispatch them into boxes in the right order and make sure that we've got all the stock ahead of Christmas.”
Although there are 24 items on the calendar, Maria says she understands people wont be able to supply all the items.
“We appreciate that our donors are also struggling,” she said, adding that with increasing levels of food insecurity in the area, donating a single item would still be welcomed.
Maria also said that it doesn’t need to be done as a family either. The reverse calendar can be done as a workplace, or a group, like brownies and beavers.
She praised the Salisbury community, saying: “We find that in the run up to Christmas, people are so generous beyond our expectations.
“I think it really hits people to the core that they're they can provide for themselves and their family at Christmas (through the Foodbank’s support) and they really think of what they would feel like if they couldn't provide.”