In the run up to Easter we will be running an AdLent campaign in an attempt to boost donations. With Christmas over, foodbanks across the country usually see a dip in donations during the period from January to Easter. This year in particular, this dip coincides with a rise in need. Many people who were just about managing to keep food on the table, now find they can’t. We need to make sure our warehouse stays well-stocked with ALL the different items we use in our food parcels, especially with the added pressure that the school Easter Holidays will bring when families with school age children tend to experience greater need.
So what is AdLent?
While Lent is an important time in the Christian calendar, it’s also a time that many people, religious or not, choose to give up certain luxuries and to think about others. In the spirit of an Advent Calendar, we’ll be asking people to donate from different categories of food or essentials over the 40 days (or approximately six weeks) of Lent. So instead of giving something up for Lent, why not consider donating an item each day or each week?
There’s a full 40-day calendar below, but here are our six easy-to-remember weekly categories:
Week 1: DRINKS – tea, coffee, sugar, milks, alternative milks, powdered milks, long-life juice, squash/cordials
Week 2: TINNED FRUIT & VEG – tinned potatoes, carrots, peas, sweetcorn, mushrooms, peaches, pears, pineapple, fruit cocktail, raspberries
Week 3: LONG-LIFE PUDDINGS – tinned rice pudding, tinned custard, sponge puddings, tinned fruit, long-life cake
Week 4: TINNED PROTEIN – Meat meals: tinned mince, stew, meatballs, hot dogs, chilli con carne, bolognaise, individual meat puddings. Cold meats: ham, corned beef, luncheon meat, spam. Tinned Fish: tuna, mackerel, sardines. Tinned Vegetarian Meals: jack fruit, vegetarian chilli, bean stews, macaroni cheese
Week 5: INSTANT FOODS – Instant porridge, ReadyBrek, instant noodles, pot noodles, pasta’n’sauce sachets, snack bars, cereal bars, biscuits
Week 6: NON-FOOD ITEMS – Personal hygiene: bars of soap, liquid soap, deodorant, shampoo, conditioner, shower gel, shaving kit, period products. Household hygiene: surface cleaner, cloths, washing up liquid, laundry powder/laundry sheets, toilet cleaner/bleach, bathroom cleaner, kitchen cleaner
You can download a full calendar here:
If you, your workplace, school, church, club, or business would like to collect for us over these six weeks, we’d be incredibly grateful. You’ll be helping to make sure that no-one in our district goes hungry.
Thank you,
Everyone at Wetherby and District Foodbank
