The Christmas Food Bank Donation Appeal

I will be completely honest about this before I begin this post; I’m worried that it won’t go to plan!

 

That being said, I have pondered this for a while now and am biting the bullet so to speak. I originally started The Frugal Cottage to help people, and to give hope that you can live the life you want on a budget and become better with finances.

 

But, I have been thinking recently about how I can help people in the area that I live in, to help those who perhaps don’t particularly read blogs, let alone ones about money, and how I can have an impact on those that are in need in different ways.

 

It suddenly hit me one morning driving to work; I could make a donation to our local food bank at Christmas time, so make sure that those who are struggling and in need get at least the basics of food at a time when finances can be especially tight. I could even try and get things together, like boxes of mince pies, small Christmas puddings, cranberry sauce, stuffing mix, chocolates, salted peanuts and all of those little extras that might make somebody smile even when things are tough, especially at holiday time.

 

The basics for a food bank donation are:

• cereal
• soup
• tea
• coffee
• sugar
• tinned fruit
• tinned veg
• pasta
• rice
• pasta sauce
• beans
• tomatoes
• biscuits

Many of these items are store cupboard essentials, things that perhaps the majority of us would take for granted. You get in from a long day at work? Make a cup of tea and have a biscuit. There’s nothing better than a warm drink and a sit down. But what happens if you couldn’t afford the tea bags? Or you can give your children something small for tea but you have to skip it because there’s nothing left? Thankfully, I have never been in that situation, where food is suddenly so scarce that you have to decide whether to heat your home or go without.

 

Also, though not always allowed at some food banks, are household items. Things such as:

• Kitchen towels
• Cloths
• Tin foil
• Cling film
• Hand wash
• Soap
• Sanitary products

Again, little things that make all the difference to make life just that little bit easier. Also, things like baby formula, nappies and wipes are occasionally needed. Some people need to make the choice between having the things needed for their own children or having food to eat. Often through no fault of their own. It makes me feel sad that we live in a world where this is happen. often very close to home.

 

So, this is where (hopefully) you come in! I have set up a fund raising page to hopefully get donations from you, my lovely readers, so that I can provide a good donation to my local food bank. I realise that for many, funds are tight but if you could donate anything, even £1 to the cause, it’ll mean more food for those in need.

 

I may have been a bit optimistic at setting my target at £150, but you have to aim high, right? I have over 1,200 followers on Twitter, and if everyone on there donated just £1, I’d be able to buy so much food to donate. If you have anything spare at all, I would really appreciate it if you could put it into the pot 🙂 I will also be buying items every week in my weekly food shop to add to the collection, and will be posting updates along the way.

 

So, thank you in advance, I’m really excited (and a bit nervous!) about this!