Christmas day looks different for everyone - but no matter how you choose to celebrate, chances are your plans include a delicious festive meal.
But not every family will be able to sit down for a traditional Christmas dinner. As costs soar and temperatures drop, many will be forced to choose between keeping their families warm or keeping them fed this holiday season.
It's a decision one Manchester food bank are trying to make sure nobody has to face. Humans MCR are set to deliver hundreds of xmas hampers, filled with everything a family needs for a traditional Christmas dinner, to the doorsteps of Manchester's neediest families. It's just one of the many reasons we're supporting them through our Christmas campaign.
READ MORE: Help the hungry in Greater Manchester as we launch Christmas campaign to tackle food poverty
The Blackley -based food drive will deliver 300 hampers across Manchester, Salford, Rochdale, Trafford, and Stockport on December 23 in their most ambitious xmas project yet. Their hard work means that hundreds who would otherwise go hungry will have a proper Christmas meal, as well as gifts for children and treats for adults.
The hampers include traditional Christmas veg, including carrots, potatoes, parsnips, sprouts, cabbage, and broccoli, as well as turkey, pigs in blankets, gravy, batter for yorkshire puddings, stuffing mix, fruit, and a selection of Christmas desserts. Hampers catering to different dietary and cultural requirements are also available. Families are also given xmas classics including crackers and mince pies - because what's the special day without a few extras? Gifts for children and treats for adults are also included, to help needy families have the truly magical Christmas everyone deserves.
Humans MCR work year-round to deliver a 'suite' of services to struggling families and individuals, including emergency food parcels and a community grocers service that provides supermarket groceries at slashed prices. They were borne out of founder Lewey Hellewell's experiences using food banks himself, and aim to give people a 'dignified' and respectful alternative to traditional food banks.
On an average day, the team deliver anything between 30 and 60 food parcels. On December 23, they will be doing five times that number in a mammoth delivery operation - and they can't do it without your help. If you are able to spare just a couple of hours on December 23, Humans MCR are looking for volunteer delivery drivers to help bring the xmas hampers to families in need. You can register to volunteer here.
If you can't volunteer, please consider making a donation to our Christmas campaign. All the money will go towards Humans MCR's goals of feeding the hungry in our communities with dignity, and lifting people out of food poverty.
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