Christmas is a time for giving and today I wanted to share a little bit about Dunelm’s Delivering Joy campaign, something we as a family have taken part in for the last few years.
Before we get started, I just wanted to mention that this is not a sponsored post – it’s a genuine charity cause which I believe in, donate to and would love to encourage others to do the same.
What Is Delivering Joy?
Delivering Joy is Dunelm’s Christmas charity campaign, which takes place each year.
Dunelm partners with local various schools, charities, nursing homes and even animal shelters to provide gifts for those who might otherwise have nothing at Christmas time.
If you head to your local branch, you will find a Dunelm giving tree, covered in green labels. Each label contains details for an adult or child (or occasionally an animal) who needs support this Christmas.
Labels contain an age, gender, suggested gift idea or interest, and the date your gift needs to be returned to the store.
You simply buy the suggested gift, place it inside a gift bag and take it back to Dunelm with the label attached, for the gifts to be distributed in time for Christmas.
It’s honestly heartbreaking to read some of the labels – many of which see children asking for things that we would consider basics – socks and pants, bubble bath, hair brushes, pyjamas and so on.
We’ll be off to Dunelm to collect this year’s labels, but as an example, last year, we chose four labels – one for each member of our family.
We bought gifts for two adults in a nursing home who presumably have no family that buy for them.
One, a gentleman had requested models to put together and paint. My husband was very keen to buy for this man as he loves Warhammer so felt they had a shared interest.
We bought two modelling sets, paintbrushes and extra glue.
We also had a label for a lady who had requested a big fluffy blanket. We bought this along with a nice tin of biscuits.
For the children’s labels, we had a girl aged eight and a boy aged five.
The boy requested a fluffy pillow and a dark tent while the girl asked for jewellery-making items.
We bought these items but also added pyjamas, fluffy socks and a selection box each too.
Can I Put Food In My Delivering Joy Gift?
From what I’ve seen online already this year, there does seem to be some confusion as to whether you can add food to your Delivering Joy parcel.
There is no issue with adding food as long as it is non-perishable, store-bought and in date.
I think adding things like biscuits, selection boxes, or chocolate coins is a lovely touch.
I have also seen some labels specifically asking for food items such as snacks or drinks.
Should I Wrap My Delivering Joy Gift?
No. Gifts need to remain unwrapped so that staff and volunteers can check they are suitable for the recipient and ensure they are in good working order, not damaged, etc.
However, if you wanted to, you could include some wrapping paper within your gift bag.
Tips For Buying A Delivering Joy Gift
Anyone who is supporting this charity drive is wonderful, but there are a few things I think need to be considered before purchasing gifts from the Dunelm Giving Tree.
- Colouring items make a great gift for your bag, but please ensure you add both paper/colouring books AND crayons or pens, not just one or the other.
- Be mindful of toys with batteries, as these can be costly for parents to replace, and some bigger toys go through them very quickly. You could, of course, add a pack to your gift bag.
- Gifts don’t have to be bought from Dunelm – they could be from anywhere. B&M has launched a fantastic budget toy range this year, and charity shops can also be great for finding new toys on a budget.
- Homemade gifts are allowed, so you can knit or crochet something for your recipient (just no homemade food or drink).
- Only take a tag from the Dunelm Giving Tree if you can afford to buy a gift and take it back to the store on time.
For details on data protection, you can find out more on the Dunelm Website.
We love taking part in this initiative as a family, and if you’re doing the sam,e I would love to hear about it in the comments.