Making Christmas special for everyone

Pick out the basic ingredients for a meal - maybe pasta and pasta sauce together, add a bottle of shampoo, throw in tins of soup and a can of salmon, and finally add something sweet, mince pies or a packet of cookies.

This is the wisdom kindly passed on by Voluntary Action Rotherham’s Andrea Cox, who is co-ordinating this year’s Food for People in Crisis Appeal.

Boxes were distributed at 15 locations around Rotherham last month, including the Advertiser’s town centre office in Wellgate.

Andrea was sorting through the proceeds on Wednesday at the Dearne Valley base of food distribution charity Fareshare.

Alongside her were Fareshare chief executive Gareth Batty and three volunteers - VAR’s Michelle Scholey, Claire Robinson, of Coleridge Children’s Centre, and former project co-ordinator Ness Bryan.

Ness is in on her fourth Christmas of being involved with the appeal.

She even came out of retirement to help with this year’s drive for donations and said her passion for the project showed no sign of waning.

“I think the generosity of Rotherham people is amazing, year in, year out,” Ness said.

“Given the state of the world and everything that is going on, this is a very positive thing and I’m pleased bpeople do their best to support it.

“Some people are living on a knife edge and I’m always aware that it could happen to any of us. We could all need help from an appeal like this.”

Between them, the team managed to put together 36 food parcels - each containing a toiletry item and meat - two types of provisions people apparently cut down on when times are especially hard.

Canned tuna and salmon, hot dog sausages, soup, baked beans, biscuits, shampoo, deodorant, cereal and crackers - both the cheesy and Christmassy kind - were all among the supplies available after setting aside out-of-date cans and packets.

The parcels, each contained in a reusable fabric shopping bag, will be passed on to charities, children’s centres and other organisations likely to be working with the hungry and homeless, or both this Christmas.

Andrea said donations were slightly down on last year, which she put down to potential donors being forced to think twice this year, given their own circumstances.

But she added: “We are very grateful for all the donations, as we know it’s a difficult time for everybody. For them to be doing their bit is fantastic.

“Some will go out as food parcels to families, some organisations will be using them to put on a Christmas meal for the homeless and others will form parcels for the homeless.

“The people who will receive food parcels will be so grateful for them, and grateful that someone has cared enough to give.”

You still have a chance to do your own little good deed by leaving a box, tin or packet of non-perishable, in-date, food and toiletries in a collection box at Voluntary Action Rotherham’s office at Coke Hill, Rotherham.

Alternatively, send a cheque payable to People in Need (VAR) to Voluntary Action Rotherham, The Spectrum, Coke Hill, Rotherham, S60 2HX, or make a bank transfer to the People in Need (VAR) bank account with account number 20298847 and sort code 60-83-01.