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School of Social Sciences, Humanities & Law

Donate to charitable reverse advent calendar

21 November 2017

 

Colleagues in the University’s School of Social Sciences, Humanities and Law are backing a ‘reverse advent calendar’ campaign to support the work of food banks locally.

The reverse advent calendar will be set up in the reception area of the academic school on the first floor of the Clarendon Building on Friday 1 December. Instead of opening a calendar door and receiving a small gift each day, people can instead open a door to the calendar donate a small gift of food throughout December.

All food donations will be distributed to local food banks across Middlesbrough to help ensure that their good work can continue during a time of high demand.

The reverse calendar is in support of the Firm Foundations project which aims to serve the needs of people who are either already experiencing, or are at risk of facing, severe hardship by supporting them to find long-term solutions. Many people come into contact with the Firm Foundations Service after being referred by a local foodbank.

Every day people in Middlesbrough go hungry for many reasons ranging from redundancy to receiving an unexpected bill whilst living on a low income. A simple box of food can make a huge difference to people’s lives in addition to preventing housing loss, family breakdown and mental health problems.

The Trussell Trust, which runs foodbanks across the country, distributed 586,907 three-day emergency food supplies to people in crisis between April and September this year. That figure compares to 519,342 during the same period last year.

Foodbanks also accept donations of toiletries such as soap, toilet roll and sanitary towels, along with pet food. Pets are often just as much a part of a family and if a person doesn’t have pet food, they may feed their pet from their own food parcel.

Suggested donations which are very much appreciated include:

Urgently needed food items • milk – UHT or powdered • long-life fruit juice or cordial/squash • sponge puddings • coffee • tinned rice pudding • packet mash or tinned potatoes • tinned vegetables (carrots, sweetcorn, mixed veg) • tinned fruit • tinned meat (ham, spam, corned beef, hotdogs, pies, stews, curries)

Welcome donations • pasta (NOT spaghetti or lasagne sheets please) • tinned pies • breakfast cereal • jam, marmalade, peanut butter, chocolate spread • biscuits (sweet rather than savoury) • snacks and treats such as sweets, chocolates, crisps • packet soups • tinned or cartons of custard or powder mix • tinned or dry pet food • toilet roll • sanitary products • toilet rolls


 
 
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