by Jill Ragar Esfeld
jill.esfeld@theleaven.org
SHAWNEE — Whether you like toys, sports, makeup or chocolate, there is probably an Advent calendar made expressly to help you count down the days until Christmas.
It’s a tradition almost as old as the season.
But last year, Good Shepherd Parish flipped the Advent calendar on its head with its Reverse Advent program.
The Reverse Advent calendar doesn’t end up empty on Christmas day; instead, it ends up full.
“Rather than kids opening a little flap for candy,” said Marcia Mielke who spearheaded the effort, “they were putting things in a box to feed people.”
Reverse Advent at Good Shepherd yielded 245 donation boxes for Catholic Charities last year — each filled with 24 nonperishable food items to help those experiencing food insecurity during the holidays.
“Honestly, I am not particularly surprised by the incredible response,” said pastor Father Kent O’Connor. “Our parishioners really respond well when there is a tangible, measurable and meaningful way they can make a difference.”
Mielke agreed.
“It was amazing,” she said. “Everybody said it was something that they really wanted to do again.”
And so, this season’s Reverse Advent, with the goal of 300 filled boxes, was launched last weekend.
After each Mass, parishioners were offered a box, a list of 24 items, and instructions on how to fit the items into the box.
As they fill the boxes, parishioners pray for those who will receive them.
Once filled, the boxes are returned to the church, and then distributed through Catholic Charities in both the urban and rural areas of the archdiocese.
“This was a beautiful way to add some service to our Advent,” said Good Shepherd parishioner Annie McDonald. “It really appealed to me because it was something the kids could participate in and feel included — filling the box and seeing it all come together and bringing it to church.”
The McDonald family made a special trip to the grocery store where their five children did the shopping.
“I wanted it to be a trip where we were just focused on filling that Advent box,” explained McDonald. “So, we brought the list and each kid got some assignments.
“They really enjoyed finding the different food items and bringing them back to the cart.”
Fellow parishioner Annie Zaya has always encouraged her two boys to do acts of kindness throughout Advent. She liked the idea of a family activity that spanned the entire season and provided a daily reminder of what it means to wait for Jesus while bringing his love to others.
“It gave us an opportunity to talk about homelessness and the ways that we can generously give,” she said. “So it fit in with what we try to do on a day-to-day basis, but allowed it to be a little bit grander in terms of our outreach.”
Zaya remembers her sons enjoyed shopping and putting items in the box each day, but their real joy came when they brought the box back to church and realized they were part of a grand plan.
“They saw all the boxes stacked on top of each other,” she said. “So many people pulled together to meet the needs of others.
“And we got to add to that, too.”
Even Good Shepherd Grade School participated in Reverse Advent, dividing items between classrooms to fill boxes.
Mielke gives credit for the success of the program to many volunteers who helped distribute boxes, and parishioners who enthusiastically embraced the idea of Reverse Advent.
“I think, with the commercialization of Christmas, you feel you have to have the shiniest toy or the most recent thing,” she said. “The simplicity of [Reverse Advent] reminds us that if we all get together and do something, we can make a difference.
“We can help others to have something that brightens their holiday.”
Father O’Connor agreed.
“I think people are looking for ways to be generous during the Advent/Christmas season,” he said. “It is sometimes called ‘The Season of Giving’ after all.
“And I think giving to someone who is in real need is good — not only for the recipient, but also for the giver.
“It is a tangible way to make a real impact.”
McDonald found that it was also a tangible way to keep Jesus in the heart of her family’s Advent experience.
“It helped us keep the poor in mind and remember the poverty that Jesus modeled for us,” she said. “He came into a poor family.
“It allows us to provide for the poor in our own modern world and it’s a nice antidote to the materialism and consumerism of the season.
“I think it helps you keep focused on the right thing, awaiting the birth of Christ.”
Make your own Reverse Advent calendar
Timed like a traditional Advent calendar, the Reverse Advent calendar counts down the days until Christmas by adding one item each day to a box destined for a charitable organization.
It’s easy to do. (For more details, Google “Reverse Advent calendar ideas.”)
1. Select a charity or nonprofit for which you would like to collect items.
2. Pick out a sturdy box — decorate it if you like. Good Shepherd uses a 17-by-11-by-13-inch box purchased from Walmart.
3. Create a list of 24 nonperishable foods or toiletries to place in the box.
4. Fill your Advent box — one item for every day until Christmas.
5. Celebrate the season of giving by delivering your donations.
