Christmas is not always a time of love and joy. For some families it’s a time of deep stress and worry especially in the current financial climate. Some simply cannot afford the lavish food and presents, so either get into unnecessary debt or go without.
For others, it’s a time when the hole left by losing loved ones is at its most cavernous. Remembering Christmases past when those family members were here and watching other families’ social media posts can sometimes reinforce the loneliness and loss felt.
And some simply don’t have families to celebrate with. Perhaps they are too far away or estranged. Either way, Christmas is not always like the sugar coated adverts we see on television, crystal glasses clinking over obscene festive feasts and muted laughter.
The solution – why not try making someone else’s life a little bit easier over the festive season? There are currently 50 emergency food providers in the city, and they all rely on donations to keep going.
BRIGHTON FOOD BANK are so overstretched they aren’t able to take any new referrals at the moment, which would give some indication on how difficult things are for certain families right now. They supply everything from food to toiletries and gifts. You can help by donating food or money online. Supermarkets are linked to the food bank and you can send goods literally by clicking a button. If you are able to attend in person, fresh fruit and vegetables are requested.
THE REAL JUNK FOOD PROJECT intercepts food before it goes to landfill. Their ethos is ‘feed bellies, not bins’ and the organisation is a national and international movement. Stats show that a quarter to a third of food produced globally is wasted. And yet, there are an estimated 795 million people who don’t get enough to eat. Two million of those people are UK based and we waste on average 15 million tonnes of food every year. Visit the Bevendean Hub without a referral and ‘pay what you feel’ for the salvaged market produce or in the cafe. If those who have more money pay more, this means less financially secure families can pay what they can afford. You can also help by becoming a patron and paying just £5 per month (the price of one cup of coffee) to support the project and its extensive running costs and in return you will be invited to an annual patrons feast as a thankyou.
