Christmas Parcel Packing

Not only do we stand outside supermarkets holding a collection bucket, but we also have to pack all the bags with the goodies purchased from the proceeds of last year’s collection. It’s actually great fun, all helpers lined up like a conveyor belt, adding an item at a time, until, at the end, we have very full bags ready for delivery, either to be taken to individuals by Rotarians, or to be loaded onto a van, kindly loaned by Palmer and Martin for the purposes, which travels from school to school, delivering bags for those who are on the list to receive free school meals.

In all, we packed and delivered 385 food parcels, designed to give local needy families and elderly a good Christmas. It’s very rewarding to spread a little happiness and we know, from the many letters of thanks we have received, that this is just what these parcels do!

None of this would have been possible without the help and support of the staff at Tesco, Sainsbury’s (Thorley Park), Waitrose, and the Jackson Square Shopping Centre, who all allowed us to collect on their premises and to whom we offer our grateful thanks.

We’re also grateful to the ladies of the Dickie Birds Playschool and a group from the Security Team of MAG London Stansted Airport, who helped us with the packing of the food parcels at Bishop’s Park Community Centre, Fordyce Furnivall for the storage of our Christmas Collection equipment, Nockolds Solicitors for sponsoring the sweets that Father Christmas gave out and Costa Coffee at Tesco for providing hot drinks for collectors and bag packers. We are also grateful to the members of the Rotary Satellite Club of Bishop’s Stortford who helped us, and to Interact Clubs of Hockerill Anglo-European College, The Herts & Essex High School, and The Bishop’s Stortford High School, who carried out bag packing at Waitrose andTesco