By Margaret Carey

Holy Trinity Church has, for several years, organised a ‘Reverse Advent Calendar’ scheme. There’s a multitude of varieties of Advent calendars on sale, some of them involving a small gift inside the calendar each day, others with chocolate, but traditionally you just open a little door to discover a quotation and a picture.

This is different. We give, rather than receive, something. So please find a big cardboard box and put something into it each day of Advent. This helps us all to think of the needs of other people, many of whom have little or no help at Christmas, or at any other time. This year, with all household costs, fuel bills, and food prices rising very considerably, the need is greater than ever. Here is a suggested selection of items you can include:
Tinned meat, vegetables and fruit
Tea and coffee
Cereals
Toiletries such as toothpaste and toothbrushes, shampoo and soap, (but not bulky items such as loo rolls.)
The odd bar of chocolate or tube of smarties wouldn’t go amiss.

Please check the expiry dates of everything you put into your box. So, start your collection on the first day of Advent, which is 3rd December and put something in your box each day right up until Christmas. Then, please take it to Harvesters, Mossy Mile, on Saturday 6th or Saturday 13th January 2024 between 11am and 12noon.

The gifts will be sorted and then distributed to families early in the New Year. We know, from the response in previous years, how generous are the people of Hurstpierpoint, and how very grateful are the people who receive these gifts. Last year, about fifty families joined the scheme which resulted in well over a thousand gifts being given. This year, there is even more poverty and even greater need. Please help if you possibly can. If you need any other information, please email margaret@112a.co.uk.