Don't Tell Me I Can't... Give The Gift Of Christmas

Felicia Boshorin simply couldn’t bear to see children going without

- Frances Leate

Passing over a box to the man in front of me, I beam, knowing what this means to him and his daughter standing beside him. The box is packed with festive goodies – a fresh turkey, vegetables, stuffing, gravy granules, crackers, mince pies and Christmas cake, as well as a doll wrapped in shiny paper.

‘Thank you,’ the man smiles, his face a picture of relief. ‘Merry Christmas!’ I reply, turning to get another box for a young couple behind him. It was 23 December 2016 and for these families, those hampers meant they wouldn’t go hungry and they could actually celebrate the festive season.

I’d become the manager of a food bank in Southwark in London six years earlier, after becoming disillusioned with my job in property. It was heartbreaking to see grown men break down in tears, ashamed they didn’t have the money to feed their families, or overwrought mums who’d starved themselves so their children could eat.