Blog by Laura Corrigan, Trainee Solicitor in our Conveyancing Department. She writes about what has inspired her and her colleagues to collect for the Foodbank as we approach the festive season.
How often do you go home after a long day at work and stand, staring at the fridge wondering what you fancy to eat? Chances are quite often. For people living in crisis this is only something to dream of.
As solicitors and support staff working in the property market, we understand the squeeze that people are feeling at the moment, given the current economic climate. But having to make a choice between heating your house and feeding your family, should not be a situation anyone should face.
Coming up to the festive season, my colleagues and I in the Conveyancing Department all felt very strongly that we needed to do more, so we decided to start a collection for the local Foodbank to help ease the burden for people in need over Christmas and the school holiday.
Inspired by the Foodbank’s advertising, we created our own reverse advent calendar for the month of December, using the list of items suggested by the Foodbank. We placed these around the office and started a collection point in the department. We were further inspired to purchase a toy or gift for children of families who use the Foodbank, instead of giving out gifts to our colleagues as a ‘Secret Santa’.
The response has been overwhelming.
Not only did we receive donations from our department, but the entire firm came together to ensure that we could give a substantial donation to our local community and guarantee that those in need wouldn’t go hungry this Christmas. We even received donations from friends, family and members of our networking groups.
We collected a substantial 33 gifts for the children and over 9 large boxes of food and toiletry items … and this was just the first collection! We are continuing to collect over the coming weeks and still have some gifts yet to arrive. The encouragement and support we have all given each other in doing this has been monumental and has really brought us all together.
No one should go hungry full stop, never mind at Christmas. Together we can help change things for the better for those in need of a helping hand.
If you would like to make a donation, please see click here for a list of items that are desperately needed. Please feel free to bring these along to our offices and we will ensure these are safely passed onto the Foodbank in our next collection.
