Your first dark winter’s night dinner party could double up as a foodie fundraiser, to help people who are dealing with the devastating aftermath of a natural disaster.
Phoebe Young
Fri 25 Oct 2019
Have A Cosy Fundraising Dinner
The clocks go back this weekend. It’s always a sobering signal that we’re officially entering winter mode - shorter, darker days and coats out of closets.
Getting friends over in the evenings is a good way of fending off the winter blues. Charity Shelterbox encourage you to use a cosy night in as an opportunity to help natural disaster victims, who are truly living in the dark.
The Shine for Shelterbox campaign is pretty straightforward, but you could make a momentous difference by taking part. Simply request your Shine for Shelterbox pack, ask your buddies over, enjoy good food and friendly company and collect the donations everyone contributes.
Use a cosy night in as an opportunity to help natural disaster victims
The Aftermath Of Natural Disasters
The news tends to show the immediate, shocking destruction caused by floods and fires. When the initial disaster has abated, something else will replace it in the headlines. This means the reality of the aftermath survivors have to face and cope with for months and years afterwards can go forgotten.
In Peru, for example, thousands of homes were destroyed by the huayco – a flood of mud, debris and soil the swept through communities, leaving devastation in its wake. Many families lost their homes, their livelihoods and all their personal possessions.
Getting friends over in the evenings is a good way of fending off the winter blues
Restore A Sense Of Normality For Survivors
The funds from this campaign will be used to buy solar lights, kitchen sets and water filters.
These things might seem small or insignificant, but they can give a family a crucially important sense of normality again. They enable people to do essential daily tasks like school work, cooking and keeping a business running.
On top of this, the items make it possible for some sort of familial routine to be re-established. If you have to be in total darkness all night you can’t see your own hands, let alone cook or find your way to the nearest toilet.
These items enable families to cook and eat dinner together, and experience some level of comfort and homeliness again.
Many families lost their homes, their livelihoods and all their personal possessions.
Make Your Dinner Your Own
The Shine for Shelterbox pack will include some dinner ideas from celebrity chefs who are supporting the campaign, including The Hairy Bikers, Levi Roots and Thomasina Miers. Check out their ideas for their favourite winter warmers if you need some inspiration.
Your fundraising dinner can be whatever you want it to be though. If cooking isn’t your thing, then get a takeaway or eat out in aid of Shleterbox.
Bon appetit to you and the family you help to make their first home cooked meal after a disaster.
You could even get a takeaway or eat out in aid of Shleterbox
After other ways to keep this season ethical?
Check out our Ultimate Ethical Christmas Gift Guide
Struggling to decide what to cook for your guests?
Try out one of these 5 delicious ideas with seasonal fruit and veg
