The reverse Advent calendar

With the number of needy knocking at the door ever increasing, the Valletta food bank is urging people – and schools – to put together a food parcel throughout Advent and Christmas.

Instead of taking a daily treat from an Advent calendar, people are being encouraged to add an item to a box. By December 24, they will have put together an emergency food parcel for people in desperate need.

These are people who would otherwise not have anything near the kind of Christmas you are so excited about, the food bank on Old Bakery Street explains.

Just last month, the food bank, run by the St Andrew’s Scots Church, had to turn away clients for the first time ever, as its shelves had run dry.

Following an appeal in this newspaper, donors turned up to help out, with food bank administrator Rev. Kim Hurst thanking everyone for their support.

“We know that many people will have a better Christmas because of the generosity of your readers. As always at this time of the year, the numbers have gone up slightly, mainly because of seasonal workers,” she told the Times of Malta.

Advent is traditionally a time of preparation for Christmas and is an ideal moment to think of others who will not have the sort of Christmas most take for granted.

Rev. Hurst explained that during the first year of the food bank’s operation, a couple of organisations took the opportunity to collect items during Advent, and the food bank built upon the idea last year.

Someone suggested starting a reverse Advent calendar after coming across the idea online. The initiative was promoted through the congregation and on social media.

Several schools have already agreed to take part as a class

“Several brought boxes, and it was a big help over Christmas, but January was a very difficult month for us. This year we wanted to expand the idea further so that there would be enough food to cover the difficult winter months,” Rev. Hurst added.

While Iżola Bank offered to sponsor the campaign with posters, flyers and an article on an online portal, the food bank is calling on schools to teach students the importance of sharing.

Several schools have already agreed to take part as a class, meaning that each child has to bring in only one item.

Rev. Hurst is also willing to visit interested schools and talk to their students. Any school that would like to take part in the initiative can register with Reverend Hurst on kim.hurst@methodist.org.uk.

Log on to www.thefoodbank.webs.com or look up the Facebook page called The Foodbank at Saint Andrew’s for more information on the event.

The reverse Advent calendar

Step 1: Every day, from December 1 to 24, put one non-perishable food item in a box, starting off with a tin of baked beans, a carton of fruit juice and a tin of tomatoes. Just one item a day.

Step 2: When you are done, just take the box to the food bank at 210, Old Bakery Street, Valletta.