We’re trying to support as many families as possible. Due to the current cost of living crisis we have slimmed down the menus which can be seen here

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Christmas raises expectations in all of us of happy times, good food and gifts. For many families, however, it is just another stress on top of the daily challenges of living. The added expense of providing special things for their family can be overwhelmingly difficult and none of us would want to see our children without a decent meal and a present under the tree. For others, especially those who are alone, it might not seem that anyone cares and it's not worth making the effort.

This is where Feeding Families can help. Feeding Families is built around the generosity of people willing to help those less fortunate than themselves to enjoy Christmas.

We accept requests for Christmas dinners from anyone who is in genuine need (subject to meeting our criteria), and we match them up with kind hearted people who donate a Christmas Dinner full of everything to make a special Christmas dinner. It's just one less thing for the recipient to have to worry about.

How the matching process works

Most of the information you will need to know about the process, has been organised into a set of Frequently Asked Questions.

You will then be able to take control of your donation, select a family size, and travelling distance that suits you. We'll show you where we need donations and you are free to choose the one that matches.

And, of course, should you choose to donate another Christmas dinner, we've made that easy too, with no need to re-enter any of your details.

Here's a quick summary of the donation process.

1. Families apply to receive a Christmas dinner

   Applications open each year in early October. We vet each application under Charity Commission guidelines to ensure all our applications are genuine families in need.

2. Donor registrations open

   You can register with us from 1 November - you'll need to set up an account with us. We'll send you a confirmation email to validate your details.

3. My Giving Hub

   When you sign onto our system, you can see an overview of the families waiting to be matched - you can select any family based on their family size, and distance from you. We'll tell you if they have any special dietary requirements, but no other details at this point.

4. When you're matched

   We'll send you and the recipient family a text message or email letting you know you the match is complete

5. Check the details

   Using the My Giving Hub, you can view contact details for the family, and you are free to get in touch with them. Nearer the time, you can discuss the delivery date that suits you both. Delivery dates 19th Dec-22nd Dec 2023. Please remember not to ask the recipient any personal information that we have not given you (e.g. Age and gender of children)

6. Prepare your matched Christmas dinner

   This is the fun bit. You can gather the Christmas dinner ingredients with all the food and treats to make Christmas special for your family. Obviously, you will want to leave the fresh food until later. You can get details on the items that you should include on our Menu page.

7. Deliver your matched Christmas dinner

   If everything goes to plan, you will arrange a suitable date to receive your Christmas dinner, close to Christmas, and you can deliver it directly to your family. All Christmas dinners must be delivered by 22 December.

Sometimes things don't always go to plan, so our team are on hand to help out - contact us at christmas@feedingfamilies.org.uk.