Have you ever walked past a homeless person, perhaps in an arcade or in a bus station? And have you ever thought something along the lines of how hard their life must be compared to your own? I certainly have.
There is a fine line between living a life inside society and enjoying its privileges, and one lived having fallen through the cracks. Those cracks must just seem to get deeper and deeper – and finding a way out could rapidly become insurmountably difficult. Or at least seems to be so when living it.
Perhaps it was thoughts like these that got me to start up our Foodbank charity food drive late last year. Since then we’ve generated a steady slow flame of community support, and delivering the accumulated goods to the Foodbank depot regularly every three months. It’s been a tangible way of helping those in need – and a mindful acknowledgment of how much we have by comparison to them.
This quarter we’ve decided to shift our focus slightly. We’ll be supporting the Manna Christmas Hamper for the Homeless project. Manna has been providing food for the homeless since its inception in 1996, when the founders drove past a group of homeless people taking shelter under a tree on a cold and rainy Perth afternoon. The group was still there hours later when they passed by again. So they went home and made them some soup.
From these gentle and kind beginnings grew an organisation that’s continued to gain momentum, providing hot meals and other simple home comforts to the needy and disadvantaged in Perth. The people for whom the cracks are widest.
This year, at a time when we all get together to celebrate family and friendship, to share gifts and food, I thought that perhaps we could all spare a thought – and a few items – to help them out.
So I invite you participate in our Christmas Hamper Food Appeal.
All it takes it to put together one or more hampers for the homeless and needy of Perth. The list that Manna provides is heartbreakingly simple, so much so that it brought me to tears when I read it. The ask is really so very small.
Why not join us in trying to make this a slightly jollier season for others?
Please note: We’ll be delivering all hamper donations to the Manna depot at the end of the first week in December.
I’m in. I have some regular foodbank donation items already, but I’m sure those can wait til next year’s first quarter run, I’m sure (tinned things so no use-by date issues).
Great, thanks – and yes re the regular items (I also have some stored for next time).
This afternoon I did my first hamper run – and found that some of the items where 2 are listed actually come in packs of 6. So this may take a little coordination. I’ll update with more info when I have it.
Yes yes yes. I’ll have it ready for Sunday. Thank you for doing this Nik xxx
Wonderful, Tracy. It’s so heart warming to be getting a good response to this idea 🙂
I’m definitely in. My sister in law passed on your details about this. She knew you in hong kong. Will help in anyway you need. Great experience for my 2 girls, who are very keen to help the homeless.. Please forward me more details. Do they need clothes too? ☺
Hi Louise – great that you want to be part of this. At present we’re just collecting the items on the list, so any that you’re willing to contribute will be most appreciated. Please contact Tracy directly via Facebook or email for more info. Regards, Nik.
Hi again, Louise. Just a quick update on delivery to Manna: we’ll be taking all donations across at the end of the first week in December, ie. Friday 2 December, so that they have plenty of time to put the hampers together. Please email me if you’d like me to pick your contributions up from you 🙂 Cheers, N.
Just a quick update for those people who’ve put their hand up to help with donations towards hampers for the homeless.
1. The items we’re looking for are listed in the blogpost. We have a spreadsheet running and am keeping track of donations that way. We’re hoping to be able to donate at least 12 hampers worth of contents.
2. Some items come in packs of many, so if you all simply pop your various contributions (of how ever many of whatever you choose to donate) into a box and drop that off to our place, that’d be great. Or I can pick up, if that’s easier for you.
3. Manna will assemble the final hampers. They deliver about 400 at Xmas time, so they’ve got that part sorted.
4. Everyone who contributes will be updated on the final number of hampers we deliver.
Thank you for participating 🙂