Advent Calendar of Giving

Our Advent Calendar of Giving is a good project for a family or a group. It’s a new take on an old tradition. Advent Calendars usually contain small gifts or candies for the kids. The concept of the Advent Calendar of Giving is for each child to fill a box of non perishables for a local food pantry as they count down to Christmas. Our church has each member of the confirmation class filling a box for the food pantry. January can often find the shelves empty; that’s why we are suggesting the boxes be delivered the first week of January. Whether it is a troop, a group or an individual, the food pantry will be grateful.

Trivia:as

John van Hengel established St. Mary’s Food Bank in Phoenix, AZ as the nation’s first food bank in the late 1960’s. In its initial year, van Hengel and his team of volunteers distributed 275,000 pounds of food to people in need. Source: Feeding America – Our History

Supplies

White Paper
Printer
Marker
Willing Hands
Groceries as listed on Printable
Sturdy Boxes

Instructions

Print out enough Advent Calendar of Giving printables as you need so each child has one.
Have each child tape their calendar on the box.
Going to the grocery store every day isn’t usually what families do so I would suggest that you first shop in your own pantry. A roll of toilet paper, paper towels, soup etc are usually in the cupboard. Then make a list of supplies you need to fill out the list and collect over the four shopping weeks. Make sure the kids are making the selection so they get to experience the feeling that giving to others can give to them.
As the kids add an item to the box each day have them mark it off until all the blocks are checked. It will allow them to express the love they have for the less fortunate.
Of course check to see where your food pantries are and what hours they are open.

Patterns, Templates and Printables

Click on a pattern to open it in a new window to print