December was the busiest month for food banks last year – 186,185 three-day emergency food parcels were provided to people in crisis. Of these, 78,536 went to children.
There’s another type of advent calendar which, if everyone got involved, could help thousands of people across the UK. The premise of a reverse advent calendar is simple: you get a cardboard box or bag and, for every day in December, you add an item such as tinned food, non-perishables or toiletries. It’s not too late to start – you’ll just need to start by adding a few more items at the beginning for December days 1-3.
Then, on Christmas Eve (or whenever your box is full – earlier is better), drop it off at your local homeless shelter.