Bedhampton care home residents prepare bespoke Christmas food hampers for local families in need
This week, Portsdown View care home in Bedhampton is marking the last few days before Christmas by preparing a series of bespoke food hampers for families who are struggling in the community.
Lovingly crafted by the residents following multiple trips to the shops, the hampers are their way to give something back to a town that has embraced them with open arms.
Residents were involved at every stage of the project, from shopping for essentials and goodies to carefully packing each hamper ready for the giveaway. The team and residents have been working round-the-clock in the last few days to make sure the hampers arrive in time for Christmas.
The hampers will be delivered to various families around town in partnership with Coffee Mate, a mental health and community wellbeing project based in Havant.
Pippa Mafunga, General Manager at Portsdown View, comments: “This has been a hectic week, but I am so proud of everyone here for working so hard on this project. There was something really special about watching the residents put the hampers together. Every item was hand-picked with care, and they have made sure every detail sends the message that “someone is thinking of you”. That’s something that everyone deserves to hear from time to time, especially at Christmas”.
The activity brought a real sense of togetherness and energy to the home, with the residents jumping at the chance to show the community what the festive season means to them. To keep morale high, the staff also made sure there was an ample supply of freshly brewed tea, mince pies and Christmas carols whilst everyone worked!
The idea for the project came from conversations between the team and people in the local community, many of whom were worried about not having enough food to go around at Christmas. Both the residents and staff wanted to help these families, whilst sending the message that anyone who visits Portsdown View – whether as a guest, resident or even just as a friendly neighbour – will be met with warmth.
Stella Austin, Customer Relationship Manager, shares her thoughts: “This week is a lovely reminder of what matters most: kindness, friendship and taking care of the people around us. Sometimes we are so focussed here on our residents that we forget there are other people in our community who also need help. It’s been wonderful to be able to make that contribution and to be supported so enthusiastically by the residents!”