Tami and her family have been donating food at Christmas time for almost 10 years now.
“I hate chocolate advent calendars,” Tami confessed.
“You’re giving your children something sweet every day leading up to the most indulgent day of the year.
“And you’re not really teaching them anything in the process.” Tami’s frustration at the Christmas tradition sparked a new way for her family to celebrate.
“I still wanted to do something to build up the excitement towards Christmas.
“So I came up with this idea of doing a reverse advent calendar. Where instead of the kids getting something, they would give something.”
From here Tami, her husband and two children began their new Christmas tradition.
Every year the family look on Uniting’s Food For Families website, write a shopping list and do a big grocery shop.
Tami then creates her own ‘advent’ calendar which tells the family each day what food item to put in the Food For Families box they are gradually filling. Whether it be a tin of tomatoes or packet of pasta or box of tea leaves.
“The children really enjoy it. They’re 9 and 11 now and really into it,” says Tami
“I wanted to teach them Christmas is about giving, it’s not just about receiving.
“It’s about thinking of other people who might not be in a fortunate position.”
Tami reflects on her own childhood and remembers she herself went through a couple of tough periods.
“I have been on both sides of it and now I’m in a position to help people,” she says
“My children have never known an experience like that. So I like them to see they’re living a pretty comfortable, privileged life and not everyone has it that way.”
Tami and her family have been donating food at Christmas time for almost 10 years now.
Not only has this tradition continued at home but Tami has also taken it to work.
“People in our team want to make a difference on the small scale that they can,” she says.
“That small scale is appreciated in the context of Food For Families.”
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We want to provide families and individuals with food and essential items all year round. But to do this,we need your help.
