This Christmas is going to be very different for us all this year with the pandemic cancelling Christmas parties, gatherings, markets and more… However, this shake-up has re-kindled a sense of thankfulness and gratitude for our friends, family and loved ones, making this Christmas somewhat more special this year. In spirit of this, it is important to help those in need this Christmas as there are more people who need our support due to Covid-19.

Here are 10 ways you can help and support those who need it this Christmas.

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1. Donate to Coventry Open Christmas

In order for the shelter to run these are the items that they require for the Christmas period

Items they need

• Toiletries (new only): toothbrushes, toothpaste, shampoo/conditioner, shower gel, deodorant, razors, shaving foam, towels, wipes, feminine hygiene items
• Toilet paper, kitchen paper/napkins
• Paper cups
• Cleaning products
• Rubbish bags
• Cling film/aluminium foil

Non-Perishable food they need

Non-Perishable items should have a use-by-date of December 2019 or beyond.

• Coffee/tea/hot chocolate
• Sugar/UHT milk/sweeteners
• Squash/long-life fruit juice
• Cakes/mince pies
• Biscuits/crisps
• Sweets/chocolates
• Tinned meat
• Baked beans/tinned spaghetti/soup
• Tinned tomatoes/vegetables
• Tinned fruit/custard
• Breakfast cereal/porridge
• Plastic bottles of brown and red sauce
• Mustard, pickles, salt and pepper
• Cooking oil
• Mint sauce

Perishable food

Perishable items should be donated on or after 24th December with use by dates of 29th December or later (if possible).

• Fresh milk
• Cheese
• Fresh fruit
• Bacon/sausages, eggs, mushrooms
• Bread
• Spreadable butter
• Fruit juice
• Sliced ham/pork pies/sausage rolls
• Quiche
• Salad ingredients
• Cream and block butter

They provide hundreds of hot meals plus extra snacks throughout the day and night for their guests and more than 3,000 servings of tea and coffee over 5 nights.

2. Donate to Coventry Foodbank to help stop hunger in our local area

Last year they fed just under 28,000 clients, with Covid the expectation is to feed 40,000 before the end 31st March 2021

Urgently needed food items:

• Tinned tomatoes
• Tinned rice pudding/custard
• Tinned vegetables
• Tinned potatoes/packet of mash
• Tinned fish (tuna and salmon)
• Tinned meat
• Long life juice
• Squash
• Coffee
• Toiletries: toilet roll, shower gels, soap, hand sanitiser, toothpaste, washing powder pods

They are also collecting the following items to put in the Food parcels in the weeks leading up to Christmas

• Selection boxes
• Christmas cake
• Boxes of biscuits
• Boxes of chocolates/chocolate
• Dried stuffing mix
• Instant gravy
• Hot chocolate
• Tinned potatoes
• Packets of instant mashed potato
• Tinned fruit/puddings
• Jam/marmalade/chocolate spread/peanut butter
• Instant noodles

Donate at:

Coventry Foodbank Warehouse: Progress Way, Coventry, CV3 2NT. Mon-Fri from 8:30am till 4pm

Tesco Stores: Tesco Cannon Park, Tesco Cliffordbridge Road, Tesco Crosspoint and Tesco Arena

Asda Stores: Asda Walsgrave and Asda Abbey Park

Morrisons: Morrisons Binley and Morrisons Holyhead Road

Sainsbury’s: Sainsbury Courthouse Green, Sainsbury’s Trinity Street and Sainsbury’s Canley

Lidl: Lidl Binley Road, Lidl Foleshill Road and Lidl Brandon Road

Aldi: Radford Road and Gallagher Park

CO-OP: Earlsdon and Fairfax Street

Warwick University Rootes Grocery Store

IF YOU ARE DONATING AT ANY OF THE COLLECTION POINTS PLEASE NOTE THAT ONLY ITEMS PURCHASED IN THAT STORE SHOULD BE DONATED IN THE COLLECTION POINT.

Volunteer: They also need drivers, warehouse volunteers and picking and packing volunteers.

3. Donate to Cyrenians, a charity that provides quality services to homeless and vulnerably housed people in Coventry and Warwickshire

Need donated goods for the charity shop Windsor’s and Refreshed, all donations must be clean, useable and of saleable quality. Fill a bag with any of the following items:

• Men’s, women’s and children’s clothing and shoes
• Accessories and handbags
• Books
• Furniture
• Bric-a-brac

You can drop off donated goods into the head office: Oakwood House, Cheylesmore, Coventry CV1 2HL. Or you can drop the directly to the charity shop Windsor’s and Refreshed: 98-101 Far Gosford Street, Coventry, CV1 5EA. They can also collect, email donated goods at donatedgoods@coventrycyrenians.org or ring 02476228099 and ask to speak to the donated goods co-ordinator

4. Buy gifts from Crisis charity website

• selling many things such as tote bags, coffee sets, cups and jewellery
• your purchase will help someone who is homeless to rebuild their life
• https://www.crisis.org.uk/get-involved/shop-to-stop-homelessness/products/#!/gifts-for-you

5. Buy charity Christmas cards

• Coventry Cyrenians sell charity greeting and Christmas cards to raise vital funds. A pack of 10 costs £2.99. Contact fundraising@coventrycyrenians.org on how to purchase yours
• Myton Hospice sell Christmas cards on their website
• Cards for Good causes: https://www.cardsforcharity.co.uk/12-days-of-christmas-cfgc11.html

6. Donate to Refuge, a charity that provides women and children escaping domestic violence a safe place to stay

• For just £10 you can buy a family an ’emergency parcel’ containing food, toiletries, nappies, children’s clothing and a change of clothes for mum
• Their services have seen an increase in demand since the pandemic
• https://donate.refuge.org.uk/page/51133/donate/1

7. Volunteer as a Call Companion

• More than 1.4 million older people suffer from loneliness
• Loneliness has worsened due to the pandemic
• You can volunteer with charities such as Age UK and Re-Engage
• https://www.reengage.org.uk/volunteer/new-volunteers/become-call-companion/

8. Help refugees through ChooseLove

• Browse through ChooseLove website where, for example, you can purchase one of their T-Shirts and the proceeds will go to help refugees
• 100% of their profits goes to support refugees and displaced people in 15 countries around the world
• Buy items for refugees
• https://choose.love/pages/about-choose-love

9. Buy a charity advent calendar

• Each day you open the door to see which charity your money has gone to
• Advent of Change: each of the 24 doors shows a 50p donation and will tell you how your contribution could be used
• https://adventofchange.com/products/charity-advent-calendar

10. Join me in 12 Days of Christmas Giving

• From 13th December up until the 24th December I will be donating money to 12 different charities.
• I will mainly be donating money to Coventry charities but I would love it if you would join me.
• I will be updating my social media accounts each day detailing the charity I will be donating too and will leave a link to the charities donation page so you can join me all the way up until Christmas Eve.

Follow my social media accounts to join me:

• Twitter: https://twitter.com/isabellaboneham
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/isabellaboneham/

If you know of any other charities in Coventry that people can help out with please comment them below or simply share this blog post with your suggestions!