#MySundayPhoto - Charity

Due to illness, visitors, holidays and my car being off the road, I really haven't done much in regards to my volunteering and charity work.

However as hubby pointed out last week, I've actually done rather a lot. It's just been internet based rather than physically visiting facilities.

The large picture shows the current state of our garage. It is filled with donated items for the Santa Shoebox Project. Friends and volunteers have been round, wrapping boxes and sorting donations.

I also act as a drop off point for friends for 2nd hand items they no longer require, I sort and donate to the appropriate facilities.

• Top right. Donations for Kungwini Welfare Organisation, it includes magazines for the residents to read and books collected rom friends, clothing, cushion inserts, lamp shades and other items for the work shop.
• Middle. Clothes for under 2s, bedding and towels and dummies for the Grace Foundation, who are in turn providing me with toys for children with Special Needs.
• Bottom 3 photos (L-R) A friend was offered 80 boxes of porridge, short date, did I know of anyone that could use it all? Half the boxes to Kungwini Welfare Organisation. The rest split between The Viva Foundation and 2 feeding schemes. In exchange for 20 of the boxes I received 100 pairs of various sized canvas shoes and the company who manufacture the boxes saw a tweet and have offered pre decorated boxes for the ShoeBox appeal.

So all in all I've done rather a lot. I don't enjoy this side of it as much as I do the the actual hands on volunteering but every little helps.

Climbing Kilimanjaro to support Adults with disabilities in South Africa

Right it's official. I'M GOING TO CLIMB MOUNT KILIMANJARO. In October for charity and to raise awareness for Adults with disabilities in South Africa.


My (step) daughter is in residential care in the UK, the money she receives for her care every year equates to the same amoun of government assistance available for the 140 residents at Kungwini Welfare Organisation in Pretoria.


I've been volunteering with them since July 2011 helping out in the workshop, making 2km of bunting to decorate their Christmas Market, their biggest fundraiser of the year, making bags (I'd never used a sewing machine before) and selling them to family and friends in the UK and using the funds to buy essential items such as toiletries and equipment for the workshop. Sometimes I jsut sit and chat with the residents, or turn up with a batch of cakes. But I want to to do more.


I've been suffering with Derpression as an expat, struggling to find my way. KWO has provided me with a place to go, a value and self worth to my life and i've met some amzing people and such a laugh with the staff. I want to do more. I'm currently fullfilling an order of bags for friends here in South Africa and trying my hand at making children's toys to sell on their behalf.



But before I sign up to the trip in October and pay the R20,000 (£1,500) I need to find out a little more about fundraising, training and sponsorship for equipment. I can't afford to pay the fee and purchase all my own gear. And I want to ensure that I can maximise the monies raised.



So many of you work with PR companies, review products on your blog and I never understand how you do this, do you contact them? if so how? or do they contact you?



I get around 250 hits on my blog a day via a handful of plugs on twitter. With my last post on Supporting Adults with disabilities in South Africa, receiving over 1000 hits.



So who can help me? Guide me in the right direction? Need to get this up and running ASAP so I can book the climb

Supporting people with disabilities in South Africa

I'm cheating a bit with this post by adding to a blog thats had over 3,500 hits since I posted it in October last year. The reason for doing this is because I've sold the original bags and I've made some more. If you want to buy a bag click here for more info.

So what happens to your money when you buy a bag?
How does buying a bag help people with disabilities in South Africa?

I don’t work, I volunteer and volunteering costs me money. But where can I get the money from to assist with my volunteer work and just what exactly do I buy with the money raised by selling bags?

To start off with there are NO personal expenses, No fuel allowance. I give my time and transport costs willingly.

Volunteering gets me out, it starves off the depression, it allows me to integrate, learn the culture, the language, make friends, explore new places.

I ‘m a volunteer with Santa Shoebox. I am the sub coordinator for Pretoria and this is my 3^rd year with them.  I don’t fundraise for them, just help with promotion, collection and distribution of boxes at Christmas time. Every Celebration day I attend, I bake cup cakes for each child at the facilities and if I identify a need I can meet and resources are available then I assist. But I do this outside of Santa Shoebox, as in I’m not representing them when I bake my cakes or meet their needs.

Through Santa Shoebox I have become involved with 2 organisations that I volunteer with independently.

I volunteer at Kungwini Welfare Organisation. I am involved with their adult home for people with disabilities, there is little government funding available and they rely on donations, both financial and in goods, goodwill and volunteers. I am also involved with the Children’s home. Their biggest fundraiser is their Nickel Xmas Market.

I’ve also recently become involved with The Viva Foundation in Mamelodi at the Alaskan Informal settlement. Where I spent a weekend with my son painting shacks as part of their Art Festival and I hope to become more involved with them.

At Kungwini I assist in the workshop, I help thread machines, I talk with people, I paint pots, I check quality control, I assist with orders, I identify needs and I try to meet them.

I do this by buying needles, threads, light bulbs for the machines, cottons, glue, paint, brushes, hand held devices for attaching press studs. I rinse out tin cans and plastic bottles from home to use to make crafts. I collect donations from friends, clothing, shoes etc. In the children’s home I provide them with toothbrushes and paste. I teach them how to clean their teeth and what will happen if they don’t, I challenge inappropriate language and comments. I talk about the world, share experiences, go horse riding, help tidy bedrooms, creating a feeling of ownership. I take and print photos, creating a record for these children to take with them through life.

By buying a bag you can help support me with this.

I want to be able to fund this year’s cake baking,  Last year I baked 2000 cup cakes, this year alone I’ve baked 350.

I want to print photos of every activity I’m involved with in the children’s home and help create memories.

I want to buy paint and brushes for Viva Foundation for their next Arts Festival.

I want to be able to buy items needed for the Workshop, to help them grow and develop their crafts to enable them to raise more funds from their Nickel Xmas Market.

I want to be able to have my own stall at a Market selling their crafts and my bags.

I want to be able to buy printing ink to advertise and spread the word about these organisations.

 

But I’m NOT asking you just for your money. I’m asking you to get involved with helping me, by buying a bag, as a gift, for personal use, telling your family and friends about where it came from and where the money goes and how it helps support people with disabilities in South Africa.

I will blog, tweet, post photos. I’m happy to discuss sponsorship requests from Media and PR companies to aid my work.

In October I am climbing Mount Kilimanjaro. I need to find a reputable organisation to go with, source the equipment and clothing needed. Set up fundraising pages (need to get donations from other countries here). I will be using some of the money I raise from selling bags to fund this. I will be paying for my flights, accommodation and the trip myself, unless I can get a sponsor for this. All funds raised from the climb will go to Kungwini to help meet some of their many needs.

 

ORIGINAL POST
I will be in the UK the end of this week and I'm bringing with me an assortment of goodies made at KWO by adults with physical and learning difficulties. I've been learning the trade along the way, so there are a few hand made gifts by me. The workshop at Kungwini Welfare Organisation

Hand bags - Colour and sizes vary (approx 40cm x 30cm) fully lined £10.00

Bag logo

Lining

Beaded Hearts - Colours will vary £2.00

Necklaces - Colours will vary £3.00

Broaches to liven up your winter coat or bag - Colours vary £2.00

Key rings - Colour and styles vary £2.00

Postage and packing extra. Stocks are limited on this trip. Contact me via twitter @chickenruby or through my blog to order

The 5 C's in a crisis

Last week I wrote about regaining my smile

Life has been going well, I've been really enjoying the volunteering at www.kwo.org.za a home for adults with learning and physical disabilities, I've established a routine, I'm committed to giving up smoking (even if I do require medical intervention to do so) I'm back swimming 1km daily at Virgin Active Gym. I'm spending my spare time, sewing bags and making bunting for KWO Christmas market. I'm busy emailing schools, local businesses and Embassies promoting www.santashoebox.co.za

So life is good and I'm also dealing with Hubby being away into his 3rd week on business in Europe and holiday in the UK to visit family and friends.

But today was crap, I put feeling better with the depression down to the fact I've not had to deal with a difficult situation recently and not the medication making it easier to deal with stuff.

I lost/misplaced/had stolen my bank card and I went into meltdown. Not out of panic/fear/worry, but out of annoyance at knowing how bloody complicated this will be to sort out.

I'm at PicknPay, no bank card, I'll be back. I retraced my steps to the petrol station where I know I last used my card, nearly 24 hours ago, it's not there. Youngest is searching the car, under the bed and friend is checking her house and driveway where I went last night. I check my balance online, all is good and then I cancel the card.

After cancelling my card I realised how isolated I am here, how little help and support actually exists for us as a family, thankfully my boys are 13 & 17 and in a medical emergency they'd cope/manage in hubbies absence.

It takes ages to find the number online as I'm signed in, if I'd signed out and just surfed the website, I'd have found it straight away.

Them: Hi how are you?, I'm fine (this happens all the time, I never had chance to answer and didn't ask a question.

Me: I'd like to report a lost card.

Them: Can I have your name and ID?.....no, not your account number, your ID

Me: That is my ID I'm British

Them: But there isn't enough digits

Me: I know, I'm not South African

Them: Can we have your account number?

Believe it or not, I don't actually know it. I get statements online, it's not written on the front of the card, like the UK, so I log back on to internet banking to locate it.

Them: When would you like your new card?

Me: ASAP as my hubby is away and I have no access to any money till he gets back next weekend

Them: How would you like to get your card?

Me: Please tell me what my options are and then tell me the quickest way to get access to my money please.

So I'm off to the bank tomorrow after my hospital appointment to be issued with a temporary card. The proper card will arrive at the bank in 5 working days.

I doubt things will go smoothly, they really do, here.

My friend is wonderful I called her. I had a cuppa, cake, cry, cuddle and most importantly....she gave me cash.




UPDATE
IT TOOK 22 MINUTES FROM ENTERING THE CARPARK, WALKING TO THE BANK, COLLECTING TEMPORARY CARD, WALKING TO CAR, PAYING FOR TICKET AND EXITING THE CARPARK....I'M STILL IN SHOCK

The real cost of volunteering

I'm not glad or relieved, but grateful the matter was taken out of my hands.

I didn't get a volunteers role at the London Olympics.

I had pinned alot on going back to the UK to give my time freely as a volunteer, after all it's a once in a lifetime experience, OK, so I won a competition to go to Barcelona Olympics in 1992, so I guess I'd used my quota of good, but still.

When I registered as a volunteer I had no idea I would be moving to South Africa by the end of the year, but we put some major life changing plans on hold and some serious money aside for me to have this chance.

I've always volunteered, at primary schools, football clubs, cubs, sea cadets for fundraising, school fetes, donated items and with that I've also given not only my time freely but my money.

It's not free as a volunteer, costs involved range from phone calls, stamps, fuel to printing. You may choose to donate unwanted items or exchange birthday gifts as donations for fetes and raffles, but, as I've discovered recently it all mounts up.

When do you stop putting the odd extra item in your supermarket trolley for the Santa Shoebox, donating winter clothing and blankets to organisations/individuals and buying things you can't really afford to help make people's lives better?

There are 2 organisations I've been involved with since I arrived in South Africa. The Santa Shoebox appeal and KWO I give my time freely, I give the facilities I have available such as my printer, sewing machine etc, but then I give my printing ink, cost of materials etc and I've reached a stage where this week I've been working almost full time for them raising awareness, fundraising (still waiting to hear back) and purchasing items needed to enable me to do this. I can't work here in South Africa and I need to build by CV ready for our eventual return to the UK, but more than that I need to feel valued and to give something back. But I can't work full time for no pay and then spend money that I don't earn trying to do just that little bit more to help out. I'll burn out, I'll run out of resourses and I could end up feeling resentful.

So all in all it's not such a bad thing that I missed out on the Olympics, this country needs volunteers more than alot of others. So in hindsight the money I would've spent flying back to the UK to be a part of something huge, has been better spent here, actually changing the lives of others. And I know that come the celebration days with @santashoebox when we hand out the gifts we've collected and see the smiles on the children's facces, that this is where I belong, not with large cooperates, making money off the Olympics. But from now on the extra time I spent shopping for items I can't really afford will be spent tackling those organisations that can and ask them to share some of their profits back among those in genuine need.

If you can help in anyway please leave a comment on my blog or tweet me @chickenruby or at the very least click on the two organisations addresses to find out more about what they do and help to raise awareness @santashoebox @kwo_org

#67minutes #mandela

July 18th is the 94th Birthday of Nelson Mandela. To celebrate his birthday people are asked to donate 67 minutes of their time to help out and volunteer to worthy causes.

This is where I spent my 67 minutes (well 255 minutes and then several more hours at home) cutting magazines to make bunting for the Nickel Xmas Market


I shall be returning next week, complete with sewing machine to make more bunting.
So how does this help this organisation? Kungwini Welfare Organisation KWO is an organisation overseeing and raising funds for many projects in the community. The Nickel Xmas Market supports people with disabilities and job creation for unemployed women and youth.

The Paul Jungnickel Home is KWO's largest and oldest project and a project close to my heart as my (step) daughter is in care in the UK, the funding she receives per year is around the same amount that this facility gets for ALL their 140 residents.

I also need to mention the 67 cupckes I made for The Baby House check out their facebook page.


It's never too late to donate 67 minutes of your time. Either contact the organisation direct or tweet me if you want to know more about what you can do.