SHARE TO CARE

WHO DOESN’T LIKE RECEIVING NICE PARCELS? CARE PACKAGES SHOW THAT THE JOY OF GIVING DOESN’T HAVE TO BE LIMITED TO BIRTHDAYS AND CHRISTMAS

You may not have described it as such, but you’ve almost certainly taken part in the giving or receiving of care parcels – thoughtfully puttogether packages to offer comfort, celebration or just a reminder that someone is thinking of you. Although the term ‘care package’ may seem to be a very obvious case of ‘ what it says on the tin’, the term ‘care parcel’ actually comes from the humanitarian organisation Cooperative for Assistance and Relief Everywhere (CARE for short), which began distributing parcels of food and supplies in Europe following World War II (check out the meat-heavy contents of a typical 1940s parcel on page 83).

The tradition of sending care parcels to soldiers has continued but now they are also made and sent by charities, individuals, families and friends who make care packages for loved ones and strangers alike. They’re not only offered for support during hard times but also in celebration or thanks. Care packages have changed, adapted and found their way into popular culture. Part of the appeal is that they’re not about spending loads of money – rather a bit of time and thought instead. Whether they are posted or delivered in person, it’s the human element that makes them such a nice thing to be given.

And the joy of care packages is not only about the receiving. Michelle Mackintosh, who compiled these care package ideas, thinks that the act of helping has helped her, too. “In a time of crisis,” she says, “when I’m unable to change the situation at hand, doing and making allows me to feel useful, like I can make a small contribution or help in some sort of tiny way. And it is this feeling, I believe, that is at the heart of the care package’s enduring popularity.”