UK Money Bloggers – Reverse Advent Calendar 2019

The United Kingdom is within the top ten countries for GDP in the world. With this as a fact, it is hard to believe that we have the levels of poverty that we do. In 2016 it was reported that 1/3 of families are only a single paycheck away from losing their home. These are shocking facts that seem illogical in today’s day and age.

In the last 5 years food bank useage has increased 73% and in a recent survey the top 3 reasons for using a food bank accounted for over 70% of all usage, with ‘Benefit’ related causes being over half of these.

Food Banks

The Trussel Trust has an aim to stop UK hunger. As part of this work they maintain a network of food banks across the UK. There is no north/south divide in the usage and all areas of the UK make use of Food Banks.

The most shocking fact is that out of the 1.6 million emergency food parcels, over 1/3 of them were for children.

UK Money Bloggers – Reverse Advent Calendar

The question is, what can we do to help? There is an active group of UK Money Bloggers who, for the last few years, has taken part in a ‘Reverse Advent Calendar’ for the month of November. We all love an Advent Calendar at Christmas where we open a door and get a treat, well this being a REVERSE Advent Calendar means that for every day in November we add an item to a ‘food parcel’. At the end of November we then hand this over to our local food bank to help a family during December.

Why do it in November, you may ask? If we did it in December then the donations wouldn’t be available to people over Christmas.

How to find your local Food Bank

Once again, the Trussell Trust can help you. Enter your postcode on this link and they will show you the Food Banks in your area. You may be completely unaware that they are even there. Check out the times your local food bank is open as mine is only open twice a week for 3 hours at a time. If this isn’t convient to you then check your local Food Bank’s website as they may have donation points at local supermarkets.

What to Donate

A typical food parcel includes:

• Breakfast cereals
• Soup
• Pasta
• Rice
• Pasta sauce
• Tinned beans
• Tinned meat
• Tinned vegetables
• Tinned fruit
• Tea or coffee
• Sugar
• Biscuits
• Snacks

However it is important you check your local Food Bank website to see what they need. This is what my local Food Bank currently advise.

The Reverend’s Reverse Advent Calendar

So this starts tomorrow – I will grab a box and by the end of the month I should have a box of donation items to help people in my local area who need some support this Christmas. I will be posting on Twitter about this using the hashtag #FoodbankAdvent so you can see what I’m donating. You will also be able to use this Hashtag to see what the other UK Money Bloggers are doing.