Food bank scheme gives parents choice at Christmas
BBCParents supported by a charity in Nottingham for their children's Christmas gifts have said a new way of receiving donations means "it doesn't feel like a handout".
The Meadows Food Bank and Pantry set up a room full of donated presents from which their users could pick gifts themselves, without having to pay.
Organisers said parents are often given pre-wrapped donations based on what children of their age and gender generally prefer, but this year they wanted to help them find the perfect present.
Mum-of-two Charmaine said it had given her "some choice when you haven't got a lot of choice".
The 42-year-old nurse is currently on maternity leave and uses the centre to help cope with the drop in her finances, along with the rising cost of living.
She left with several gifts, including wooden blocks for her baby and a bracelet-making set for her 10-year-old child.
"Without this place, you're quite limited in what you can afford," she said.
"When you're financially unstable you can feel like you're kind of begging.
"Here you feel dignified... someone's given you something for free, but it doesn't feel like that.
"You're picking what your child would want.
"It doesn't feel like a handout."
Naila, 45, a mum-of-four living in temporary accommodation, added: "I'm homeless and I can't afford a present – everything is really expensive.
"When I saw the presents I felt happy because it meant my kids would be happy."
Volunteers decorated and stocked a room at Bridgeway Hall Methodist Church with about 500 toys, games and clothes.
The parents visiting were users of either the food bank or the food pantry, the latter requiring a small membership fee in return for items.
Sukai, 47, is a volunteer and pantry user.
She said last year she was given a present in a bag with her name on it when she arrived.
"It was a good present, I even came back to thank them," she added.
"[But] it's better to have choice. You know exactly what you're getting.
"The other way is just luck. It's ideal for me to be able to choose something that my daughter will really love."
About 70 parents visited on the day it was open, picking up gifts for about 170 children.
They could then take the presents downstairs to be wrapped up.
Mark Knowles, one of the organisers of what is called the Christmas Choice Room, said: "As a food bank, we used to receive lots of wrapped presents that might say, here's a present for an eight-year-old girl.
"Inside there's a doll, which is a perfectly appropriate present, but it could be that that eight-year-old girl likes football.
"So the idea is to allow parents to choose a product that they know is going to delight their child when they open it on Christmas Day.
"It matters because it brings enjoyment, it's giving the parents some agency and helps deliver what we want to do, which is make everyone who comes here feel welcome and cared for and treated on occasion."
For families like Olabisi's, the donations have made Christmas "better and more beautiful".
The 39-year-old mum of three said: "The kids understand if there's no gifts available. They'll say, 'I'll pray for you, maybe next year will be better'.
"But this year I've made it better already.
"Santa is here, he's knocked at my door and asked me to come here.
"In a lot of ways it's saved our Christmas."
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