Everyone knows what a traditional advent calendar is. We open up a door or box every day in December and get some kind of treat. There are Lego Advent Calendars, the new Wine Advent Calendar from Aldi (um, YAY!), and all the traditional chocolate treat advent calendars. We started doing an alternative Advent Calendar in our house 3 years ago, the 25 Books of Christmas and it’s been a hit with my boys!
This year, we are going to add an additional advent calendar, a slightly less traditional one at that! My step-mother recently tagged me in a post on social media (along with several other relatives and friends) and “challenged” us to take part in a “Reverse Advent Calendar”.
What is a reverse advent calendar? Well, instead of opening up a door or box daily and RECEIVING something, we are going to be putting items into the box daily, and GIVING something. Still confused? Let me break it down first with some startling information about the Greater Cincinnati area.
“According to U.S. Census data and the Ohio Development Agency’s Ohio Poverty Report in 2018, 29.9% of Cincinnatians live in poverty – that’s more than 85,000 individuals. Nationally, Cincinnati is among the top 15 poorest cities in the country with a population of 250,000 or more compared to a national poverty rate of 14%, and Ohio-wide rate of less than 15%. This means that approximately one in three Cincinnatians fall below the poverty line, and our city’s poverty rate is almost twice the national average.”
Do you know what it’s like to wonder where your next meal is coming from? Do you struggle to make sure your kids get a good lunch for school and start their day with a hearty breakfast? Do you go without a meal (or two or three) just so your kids could eat?
While I don’t understand the full extent of these statistics, I do know what it’s like to worry about buying groceries. I know what it’s like to miss several meals so that my children could eat. I spent many nights eating green beans out of a can so that my stomach would stop growling so loud. When I first became a single mom, I struggled. But in the grand scheme of things, I never “officially” fell below the poverty line. I never had to go to a food pantry.
There are so many others in our city and surrounding towns that aren’t so lucky. This Christmas season, there will be many families and children that will be going without. I’m not just talking about presents. I’m talking about food, never mind the big holiday dinner where all the family gathers together. Just the basics to get through a week.
Here’s where our REVERSE ADVENT CALENDAR comes into play! During the month of December, my family will be filling a box with some of the basic staples and necessities for a family to have a healthy, filling, enjoyable dinner. There will be plenty of leftovers so that they can enjoy many meals afterward as well!
Here’s what you do: Each day (or you can work ahead if you know you won’t be around a certain time), fill a box with each necessity that’s on the list below. Include a Christmas card, wishing the family that receives the box a Happy Holiday. When you have filled the box, on December 24th (or prior), bring the box to your local food pantry. By the way, did you know that there are almost 100 food pantries in the greater Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky area? You can find a partial listing HERE.
Having been the recipient of like boxes growing up, it will mean the world to the family receiving it.
So, how about it? Will you join my family in our challenge to complete the REVERSE ADVENT CALENDAR? Our family has been blessed more than we deserve and while we still have our struggles, they pale in comparison to some of our local neighbors. If you do join in, I’d LOVE to see a picture of your completed boxes or your family delivering them to the food pantry!
