Food Bank Reverse Advent Calendar Guide for 2024

Make your food bank reverse Advent calendar. On Christmas, many people focus on gifting and receiving expensive presents. This year, it is time to make a change. Christmas is a great opportunity to make a difference in your community. And helping those in need is easier than you may think.

What Is a Food Bank Reverse Advent Calendar?

With ordinary Advent calendars, or Christmas calendars, you get a small present every day in December until Christmas. A reverse Advent calendar is the opposite of this. Instead of receiving, you are donating (giving) something.

What you donate is up to you, but a food bank reverse Advent calendar is the most popular choice. Everyone needs food, especially during the winter months. Food banks need food, so donations are always welcome. You can also donate during other times and do not need to wait until Christmas.

How Do Food Banks Work?

Food banks collect food donated by the public. You may have noticed their collection points in supermarkets, schools, churches, and businesses. Volunteers use the donations to make emergency food parcels.

These food parcels contain three days’ worth of nutritionally balanced food. They are distributed to people in need. Recipients are identified by Citizens Advice, social workers, school staff, and other professionals. These referrers give the person in need a voucher to exchange for food parcels at the food bank.

Why Should You Make a Food Bank Reverse Advent Calendar?

Making a food bank reverse Advent calendar is one of the best things you can do this Christmas. Most people already have enough stuff. Instead of adding more, donating and helping those in need is important.

I believe that to live a happy and fulfilled life, donating and helping are vital. You can make a difference, and someone’s mood will brighten because of your actions.

How to Make Your Own Food Bank Reverse Advent Calendar

1. Find a Food Bank

First, ensure you know where to deliver your food. The easiest way is to look out for collection points located at:

• Supermarkets
• Churches
• Schools
• Business centres

Supermarkets are the most convenient drop-off point. You can put donations in the collection box straight from your shopping trolley. Before you donate, inspect the box’s appearance. If it is open, anybody can take your items.

I have seen people taking out items that others have donated. I assume these people steal food bank items because they are desperate. However, this is not the intended way of distribution. As a result, people who need food more urgently and use the correct procedure may not receive the food they need.

A more reliable way to donate food is to contact your local food bank. To find one, enter your postcode on this website.

2. Decide How Much to Donate

You can donate however much you like. The amount is up to you and depends on your money and time. It is fine to donate one product per day or one product every few days. Every bit helps.

3. Decide What to Put into Your Advent Calendar

Donate foods that do not easily perish. For example, fresh fruits and vegetables are not good choices. Your donated products must first be collected, sorted, and packed. It will take time to reach people in need.

Other items you should not donate include alcohol or cigarettes. Vulnerable people are at risk of developing an addiction. You do not want to make their situation worse.

Potentially dangerous items such as razor blades could be another issue. Here is a list of foods suitable for donation from Leeds and North West foodbank:

• Tinned fruit
• Tinned vegetables
• Pasta sauce
• Long-life milk
• Long-life fruit juice
• Tinned or packet puddings
• Canned fish
• Tinned meat
• Packets of biscuits
• Rice, pasta or noodles
• Teabags
• Coffee
• Jam
• Soup
• Cereal
• Tinned Tomatoes
• Rice pudding
• Tinned custard
• Chocolate at Christmas

In addition, you can also donate non-food items such as:

• Toiletries: Deodorant, toilet paper, shower gel, shaving gel, shampoo, soap, toothbrushes, toothpaste, hand wipes
• Household items: Laundry liquid detergent, laundry powder, washing-up liquid
• Feminine products: Sanitary towels and tampons
• Baby supplies: Nappies, baby wipes and baby food
• Face masks and hand sanitiser

4. Decide When to Donate Your Items

When you bring your food items to your food bank or collection point is up to you. Most people deliver their items a few days before Christmas. Yet, donation time is unimportant because people will always be in need. You could do your food bank reverse Advent calendar in the summer. Food banks are always grateful for your help.

If you include Christmas items or want your food parcels to reach the people by Christmas, do not wait until Christmas Eve. Volunteers may be busy in the Christmas run-up and unable to sort through your donation in time. Collection and delivery can also take a few days.

If you are flexible, consider donating in November and delivering it in the first days of December. This gives the volunteers at the food bank plenty of time. You can call your food bank beforehand to inform them of your plans. They will advise you of suitable times.

Example of a Reverse Advent Calendar

If you are having trouble deciding what to put in your reverse Advent calendar, I created an example you can follow:

1. Long-life milk
2. Peanut butter
3. Tinned tomatoes
4. Tuna
5. Canned fruits
6. Shampoo
7. Brown rice
8. Tinned soup
9. Olive oil
10. Tinned carrots
11. Pasta
12. Fruit juice
13. Tampons
14. Shower gel
15. Granola bars
16. Tinned ravioli
17. Flour
18. Cereals
19. Toilet paper
20. Mixed seeds
21. Dried fruits
22. Deodorant
23. Oats
24. Chocolate

You do not have to follow this list. Feel free to replace items as you like. You can also include over 24 items. For example, some people run their calendars from the first to the last day of November. If you cannot find an item because supermarkets are out of stock, replace it with something else.

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