Saturday 5 October 2013

I need your help please

I volunteer with #santashoebox in Pretoria.

We are short of pledges for Christmas shoe boxes this year, around 3000 more pledges are needed by drop off days the 3rd week in October. Where we check the boxes, pack and store till mid November before distributing to disadvantaged children in the surrounding area.

This is a country wide initiative. We still have facility names to release and 2 of my facilities are on that list.

I'd hate for any child to miss out, I'd hate to have to go to the facilities and tell them that we didn't reach our target.

I can't name the facilities but I can tell you a little bit about them.

The first facility needs 12 shoe boxes. This is a home for girls no longer able to live with their families. The second facility is a care home for children with mental health issues, they need 10 boxes.

If the pledges don't come in I will be donating boxes to these 2 facilities myself. I haven't made an individual pledge this year or last year as I donate fillers and my time to raising awareness, promoting and sitting on the committee both locally and regionally.

This year I'm making up stationery packs. So far 150 for ages 2-18. It is amazing how many people forget to put one of the required items in the boxes.

Each box requires:
Stationery
Toothbrush & paste
Sweets
Clothing
Toy

It doesn't have to cost the earth. Around R100 for a basic box and some people, judging by the contents, spend R500+ per box.

It doesn't matter if one child gets a bumper box and another gets a basic box. These children have nothing and anything and everything is cherished and a much wanted gift.

So if you feel like taking on a facility or you can donate X amount of boxes. Please contact me. You don't have to be living in Pretoria to pledge a box.

Friday 4 October 2013

Despite the difficulties of the past few months...I feel good

I have a million and one things I could be doing, but no inclination to do any of them.

The last few months have been hectic and I spent 15 weeks in May-Sept in the UK sorting the house out after bad tenants.

My 14yo son remained in the UK for boarding school, so there's no school runs, lunch boxes, arguments over homework. The washing and ironing has reduced greatly as has the cleaning and tidying.

So I now have all that spare time to get on with the things I've been wanting to do. NO.

You see the things I wanted to do were compensation for not being able to work and complete my studies (with minimum hassle) Things I found for myself to do to stop the rot setting in, new skills, hobbies, interests, basically all the things I never had time to do when I was working.

And now I actually have the time to do what I want, when I want, I'm not actually that fussed anymore. I'm rather enjoying the lie ins in the mornings. Drinking tea and eating toast in bed, watching a soppy movie on the TV. Going to the gym in my time, having a coffee and cake afterwards. Nipping out to the shops for milk and bread and being out all day and other days just slobbing around the house in my pjs.

I'm getting all the stuff done I need to do. Dinner, washing, cleaning, looking after the cat and dog. Paying the bills. Sorting out the paperwork with the solicitors for the tenants. Meeting friends for lunch, drinks, dinner, going to watch a show. Collecting and sorting bits and pieces for some volunteer projects.

I'm not bored, I'm not feeling undervalued, I'm not feeling left out. I don't feel guilty.

I'm feeling refreshed, healthy, relaxed and happy for the first time in years.

ShareThis