This Christmas, Change the Present
This winter thousands of people all across Edinburgh are facing hunger and will be turning to foodbanks for help. As revellers flock to Princes Street and the St James’ Centre for gifts and treats, just metres away, foodbanks are helping people who are struggling to put food on the table.
At Christmas, giving is so important. It’s an amazing way to let people know that they matter and that they are cared for.
Foodbanks across the city depend on gifts – the tins and packets that go into emergency food parcels, the precious hours that hundreds of volunteers put in to making it all work, and gifts of money to pay for things like fuel for the van, rent for the warehouse, or to keep the money advice helpline up and running.
Your gift could make a huge difference right here, right now.
When someone in crisis visits a foodbank, they are offered a warm and dry place to sit down and have a cup of tea and a biscuit. Someone is there to listen, to understand, and to help.
Emergency food parcels have enough food for three meals for three days. People can also pick up things like shower gel, washing up liquid, or even food for their pets. At Christmas seasonal treats are added to parcels like chocolate advent calendars for children, and mince pies for the grown-ups.
Giving people the essentials takes away hunger and worry, and takes off a bit of pressure so that people can focus on other issues that are affecting them.
Getting help for the longer term is also important – while people are visiting the foodbank they can meet with trained Money Advisers who are on hand to help navigate benefits, debt, and budgeting, and people can get specialist help on housing, employment, and health and wellbeing.
The gift of comfort – £15 could buy the tea and biscuits for people when they arrive at the foodbanks. Small things can make a big difference.
The gift of warmth – £35 could help people get advice on their bills so they don’t have to choose between heating their homes or feeding their families.
The gift of hope – £100 could make sure a family in Edinburgh has enough food on the table over the Christmas holidays, and the hope of a brighter New Year.
Together we can Change the Present and create an Edinburgh without foodbanks where everybody has what they need to thrive.
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Instead of taking a treat from an advent calendar each day, you put a donation aside of an item the foodbank really needs and donate then by Friday 20 December.