One tin can make all the difference

A Christmas Lifeshare appeal by Joanne Yeo

We’re now approaching that mad but wonderful season – Christmas!

As we’re busy making lists, and checking them twice, I wonder if I can convince you to perhaps add one extra tin to your Christmas shopping. One tin can make a difference. One tin can mean one less item a family is in need of. One tin can make you a hero!

Do you work in an office environment or as part of a team? Perhaps you can arrange a collection between you?

I’d like to have a day across Carmarthenshire, particularly in Llanelli where friends, colleagues and strangers come together to make a tin donation to the Life Share Scheme run by The Antioch in Copperworks Rd, Llanelli. This scheme helps struggling families and vulnerable individuals within our community by providing food parcels, clothing and furniture and a friendly face.

We have arranged a Christmas event where families and individuals will have a 2 course Christmas Lunch, children will meet Santa, there’ll be fun and games and importantly, the families will take away a food hamper.

We’re working with The Wallich, Home Start, Womens Aid and more. We initially looked at providing this event for around 50 families, however we have received more than 100 referrals!!!

It breaks my heart that in 2012 we are now looking at setting up a soup kitchen…….

And so to the day for collections – December 8th.

I’ve chosen this date because on December 8th, 1992, The United Nations held an intervention in Somalia named OPERATION RESTORE HOPE a UN sanctioned US military operation. The operation was planned to avert the growing humanitarian disaster of severe famine and general chaos. I know, we’re not at humanitarian crisis point, but it struck a chord with me.

Example of the items that we are looking for are, tea bags, soup, sugar, tinned meat/fish, UHT milk, custard, pasta, christmas pudding etc.

All donations can be taken to the Antioch Mon – Fri between the hours of 12:00 – 4:00pm

Remember: We must not, in trying to think about how we can make a big difference, ignore the small daily differences we can make which, over time, add up to big differences that we often cannot foresee. (Marian Wright Edelman)

Thank you for your time.

Joanne Yeo