Friday, March 29, 2024
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Home People Women in Rail's Reverse Advent Calendar is back to help those in...

Women in Rail’s Reverse Advent Calendar is back to help those in need

Women in Rail is calling upon the rail industry to once again join them in helping those in need during the holiday season.

The charity is bringing back its successful Rail Reverse Advent Calendar initiative, where people are asked to set aside one essential item each day for 24 days. They then donate the items to a local food bank, care home, refuge or charity, to be distributed to less fortunate people and families at Christmas time.

Many who have taken part before wrap the item up to evoke more Christmas spirit.

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Items can include dried and tinned food, baby food and nappies, feminine and hygiene products, household cleaning items and chocolate treats, depending on the organisation to be donated to. People can even add a teddy bear and a homemade card.

Christine Fernandes, chair of Women in Rail and business development at CAF, said: “The pandemic has left a huge deficit for the UK’s most vulnerable people and families – which becomes even more apparent during the festive period.

“The Trussell Trust have recently highlighted that – due to the pandemic, loss in jobs, cut in benefits and rising energy costs – many people are facing the real decision of paying to warm their homes or feeding themselves or their families. From April 2020 to March 2021, 2.5 million emergency food parcels (including 980,000 for children) were distributed to people in crisis – a sharp rise of 33% on the previous year – and unfortunately, the numbers will continue to climb during the winter months.

“As a team, Women in Rail feel the need to act – and to do what we can to help make a real difference to vulnerable individuals and families – during a time which, for most, will be the hardest and most isolated time of the year.”

Everyone – individuals, families and companies – can take part in the Women in Rail Reverse Advent Calendar initiative. It supports those in need and also teaches children the importance of helping others at Christmas time.

Many charities, care homes and food banks accept gifts at Christmas time and organise for them to be delivered to struggling and vulnerable people and families. Participants are asked to ensure they get in touch with their chosen organisation to check that it will take items and, when donating the Reverse Advent Calendar box, please provide details of its content so it can be donated to those who need them most.

Women in Rail encourages anyone taking part in this initiative to share pictures of their Reverse Advent Calendar and any inspirational stories on social media using the hashtags #WRCares and #WRReverseAdventCalendar.

To find out more about the Women in Rail Reverse Advent Calendar initiative and join the teams supporting it, please contact Evie at evie@nimblemedia.co.uk

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