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Saturday 4 November 2017

A Great Idea.

I was watching the TV this morning while eating toasted homemade seeded bread with hedgepick jelly, and drinking tea in my cosy and warm sitting room. The fridge and freezers are full, the pantry also (specially the preserve shelves).

There was a mother and daughter talking about a Reverse Advent Calendar box scheme, and someone from one of the charitable organisations as well.

The so so simple idea is that in November you find a box and each day you put in an item, toy, food, toiletry etc. Then it gets donated ready for Christmas (no apologies for using the C word)

This family had the demographics of a family given to them and they filled a box accordingly.

When I returned Rufus, after his walk, I was chatting to W about this. He told me that one of his family members threw change into a pot all year and then in late November went to the large chain "P" and spent the lot on underwear in various child sizes, this all went to the local food bank.

Each year, at this time, I fill a trolley with toiletries, sanitary goods, tights and take that to the Trussell Trust along with as many Christmas stockings full of chocolate as I can pile in. I know that the families need the basics but to misquote "man does not live on bread alone" we all like a little treat every now and then.

I usually ring and ask if there is any particular thing that they are desperate for and toiletries, for both men and women, are always on the list.

This year we have a local food bank and I aim to pay them a visit and ask for their "most wanted" list.

I have just about everything in the house that we will need for the season and my Tesco points will cover the remainder.

I am no "do gooder" I could give more but to be brutally honest I just don't focus upon it as much as I could. There are so many other things careering around in my mind that it slips by unless there is an in-store collection going on when I am shopping.

I want to make this a bigger part of my life next year and will be talking about this with my local food bank group. 

I would love to plan a box of hand knitted goodies BUT yarn is not cheap, and time is not elastic, so store bought would supply more, quicker and cheaper. 

Possibly something large and handmade to raffle off would be an idea. Maybe a quilt, something fairly showy that would encourage people to buy tickets. That would be more for one of the bigger organisations. I will be making enquiries soon, very soon, to give me time to plan and execute the project in good time.

On that thought I am off to pootle round the garden, fresh air will get the little grey cells working. It just happens that I have a Damson Tree to plant today.

                  TTFN                                                 Pam


20 comments:

  1. Hedgepick jelly is such a lovely name for your preserve. We have a food bank at our local church. There is a box in the foyer and I must make the effort to donate more.

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    1. Just like you I have to make the effort, what I want is for it to become part of the norm.

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  2. Hi Pam

    My Local Co-Op does a scheme whereby you buy a little extra when you do your shopping and then hand over to the Co-Op Staff (they have a large basket container in the store into which to pop the items). Every so often they do for the Cats Protection with donation of food too.. I have been adding extras to my shop only the basics but still extras to meregularly for over a year now. I know what it is to be without; not to the extent I had to go to a food bank, but I know many more people than used to be are affected by this in this day and age which is not morally right. I agree with you though, everyone needs a treat now and then and the additions of some sweets or chocolate, or stockings in. With the wool - if you are going to do the knitting could it not be done by donation? I have a go at knitting but I am not particularly good but would be happy to sponsor the wool for you if that would help. I am sure some of the other ladies would not mind helping also or by donating wool from their own stash. Or say you decide what item you would like to knit and say you are looking for 3 x 100g balls of wool to knit something and then one or more of the readers donates the amount of wool you need to finish the item. It might be worth canvassing with the ladies. I know you are a fast knitter and always have something on the needles.

    Equally if you were to do a quilt and raffle it from your blog and in the surrounding area.... This would also help people be involved in something much more meaningful with those who have the skills sharing their expertise with those not so skilled. The items would have more value then. Just an idea Pam. There are all sorts of ways in which we could help and then it would be a group effort your skills our sponsorship.

    By the way the purest form of love is that which comes from the heart. It cannot be bought or bottled but is unconditional and therefore does not need a name tag.

    Take care Pam some lovely ideas.

    Pattypanxx

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    1. Thank you Pattypan, I have to speak to the local people and see what we can come up with. In the interest of fundraising I would like to raise as much as is possible, I may speak to my local Tesco as they do lots of things to raise money for local groups. The local small supermarket might like to get involved as they have collection boxes for the food bank and for a local animal rescue.

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  3. Hello Pam,

    I read your blog everyday but ding think I have ever blue g. I love the idea of helping people and make quilts fir Project Linus and cards for our local hospice. I can not knit very much now due to arthritis but have got some wool I would willing donate for you to knit. It's a nice shade of blue DK Robin 600 grams if you could make use if it. Hazel c uk

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    1. That is very kind of you Hazel, at the moment I still have to speak to the local organisers as to what they think and would like. Once this has happened I can start to plan.

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  4. A great post Pam. I intend to do something similar in the run up to Christmas. I have done the Reverse Advent thing 2 years running so will not be giving a blow by blow account in my blog (it will be boring to read) but will do the RA again quietly. Our local Food Bank are requesting treats like nice biscuits and chocolate etc so I'll be doing that as well as toiletries. A raffle quilt is a wonderful idea. Well done x

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    1. The quilt will happen regardless of where the raffle takes place. I have started a box and will add to it through the next couple of weeks.

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  5. Good ideas, there is so much need and sometimes I lose track of the small ways to meet those needs. Good reminder to stay on target!

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    1. With the hurly burly of life it is all too easy to let these things slip away, I want to get back on track with regular donations.

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  6. Whenever we travel I collect the shampoos, lotions and other goodies from the hotel. At the end of the year, I take the bag and drop it in the bin for the Lutheran Social Services to make up their sanitary kits. The year I drove to Chicago, we collected over 50 items to go into the bag. I don't have much money anymore, but I will donate the items I have in my bag.

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    1. It is all these little things that snowball into an avalanche of giving.

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  7. Every year our church does up hampers for Christmas and has a Christmas store where people donate toys for various ages. I love gifting them with goodies.

    God bless.

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    1. I am not a regular church goer but it is a good idea to make some enquiries.

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  8. After lovely Tracy from My beautiful home requested socks for the homeless as my Xmas prezzie to her last year, I've been buying them year round and have given them year round to the homeless shelter. I'd happily buy a raffle ticket and send you some wool if you'd like to start something!! X

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    1. Thank you so much, as soon as my plan of action is formed I will blog about it.

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  9. I buy yarn from the charity shop and use that to make things to donate.

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    1. Knitting seems to be fairly rare here, I have never seen much yarn in the charity shops.

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  10. I just cant get my head around the need for a food bank in the UK in the 21st Century. I am not demeaning your or anyone else's very kind and generous donations, but surely the MP's should be coming at this from the other end and sorting out this country so it doesn't need food banks!!!

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    1. It is shocking but the need is there and the reasons behind it are very diverse. Much of it is caused through ignorance, young people are not taught to budget and cook from scratch. So many women have not had a stay at home Mum to teach them the basics. Then there is the benefits trap and the high cost of housing. There is no simple solution and a complete rethink of our culture is probably the starting point.

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