As the cost of living crisis is really starting to bite for many, many people I've been thinking about just how hard Christmas will be for many families.
It's a tough time for many any year but this year is going to be especially hard for so many people.
How do you explain to young children that there won't be the usual amount of presents under the Xmas tree this year? How you you tell them that you have to make the choice between heating the house, putting food on the table or buying presents?
Many families rely on foodbanks & other small charities especially at Christmas time but the cost of living crisis is also affecting these places as donations drop and high energy costs are giving many no choice but to close their doors.
It is definetly going to be a bleak mid-winter.
So, we know what the problem is and although we are not politicians and can't solve the many & varied issues that are causing all this there must be something that we can do to help allieviate, even if only for one day, the anguish, dispair and distress that many people are feeling.
If you can, please support your local foodbank. They need essentials every day of the week (tbags, sugar, tinned stuff, toiletires etc) but in the few weeks before Xmas some little extras would really be welcome. Maybe biscuits, sweeties for the kids, tinned fruit, selection boxes etc. Just because people are poor doesn't mean that they can't enjoy a few little luxuries now and again.
Far too many people judge others when they see them with a mobile phone or driving a car without stopping the think that they may have had that phone for years or they live somewhere with no reliable public transport.
Life is complex enough without others judging you for the way you live.
If you have kids maybe have a sort through their old toys and see if there is anything in good condition that could be donated. Many foodbanks double up as a kind of Xmas gift bank too so are always looking for items that can be re-gifted.
If you have a foodbank near you why not pop in and have a word with them. Find out what they are planning to do for Christmas and see how you can help.
It somehow feels wrong to be thinking like this and its not in any way meant to be patronising - I'm in a similar position myself and have been in a much worse situation in years gone by so I know only too well how hard it is. Going to bed in my coat & gloves with 2 pairs of socks and a hot water bottle & having to scrape the thick ice of the windows because we couldn't afford to buy coal so had no heat or hot water.
Things have improved a bit thankfully for us but we will still struggle this winter although not as much as many people will.
We need to remember that many small businesses will also be struggling due to the cost of living crisis. All their costs will have increased and many will be having to pass on at least some of those costs to customers, knowing full well that its a tricky situation for everyone. Increase prices too much and customers will not buy; not increase prices and risk going under.
Sorry if this blog post seems a bit erratic but I'm just putting my thoughts down in written form and its such a complex issue and one that needs a multi pronged approach to resolve that my mind is all over the place.
I feel the need to do something - but what? I know many other feel the same way. Reading through my twitter feed I see so many like minded people who are trying to figure out how, not only they can deal with the crisis themselves but how they can help others who are less fortunate than them.
I don't have spare cash to spend but there has to be other ways to help people.
I you have any suggestions then please feel free to comment below or start your own thread on social media.
Maybe we need an appropriate hashtag that we can rally round - any suggestions?
I'm going to end this here as I've rambled on enough for now. Need to sit and thing about what to do next.
Thanks for reading this and if you feel the same as I do, thank you for caring.
Until next time.
