Cheeky!

Oh dear - my first issue with donors! Well, not true, there has been a few items that charities have not taken due to quality but I have always seen that as part of the awareness campaign of this "quality" giving network.

Apparently.. donors/donators are forcing charities to take items other than the ones that they requested.  I never saw this coming!! 

There are a number of issues with this..  People are using them as rubbish removalists which is frankly a bit rude!  Remembering impoverished people have very little space and most charities do not have warehouses to store donations - being one of the big reasons they love GIVIT! I might talk to my volunteer/friend  (aka: smarty that help me with legal jargon) about changing the participation policy to ensure this doesn't happen.  Also so we don't get complaints from the donators complaining that the charity was ungrateful!

GIVIT's first Christmas

I think this month we have donated over 8,000 items.. YES!  There are hampers galore being received by worthy recipients this week.. I feel so good to be involved.  Hopefully we will have lots of photos come through this week.

GIVIT is spreading like a (good) wild fire!  I can see it is going to be popular nationally! I have had growing pains for the last 10 months - so I am used to it.

I have witness SO MUCH good giving this month I am unsure where to start and finish - but a new one for the books is-   Jonathan from Blow (Montpelier Rd) gave ($150!) hair vouchers to his customers who gave to GIVITs campaign to make hampers for homeless teens!  We made up 60 amazing bags with great hair products and great donations from Wright Property (our major benefactor)..

So now people are giving to people who are giving!  Just phenomenal.

Donations virtually flying everywhere!

I am going to write about Dave on the GIVIT List - he is wonderful.  In fact, I wish I would ask him to write it!  He made us cry again today! Third time for me.. Krya who manages the GIVIT list is blown away! As Kyra said to Dave "..I hope your family is very proud of what you have done, and the number of people that you will have assisted.  I think if more people took a small leaf out of your book, we'd have a lot less people in need."  Yes.. good gracious YES!  I will certainly think about ways to help people "do a Dave" next Christmas.

I have had two phone calls (yesterday) with the charity workers (from Micah and Quihn) who were co-ordinating two of our Christmas campaigns.  The donations have been so gratefully received.  They are going to send us more photos (!) but this is what GIVIT people have donated so far to Quihn! This is half of it!  There are many more toys..

We rarely get to see the items being donated that I studied it for about 10 minutes! That is all wonderful food and toys and toiletries.  I know the three major donors (Jenny, Lyn and Naomi) must feel terrific about their contribution.  There are over 1000 items there.

The children who are homeless are going to receive their toys tomorrow!  WE GET PHOTOS!  YES WE DO!! It is so rare to get photos! The Micah team are in love with GIVIT, and they will release photos to us next week.  They received more than enough toys for the 115 homeless and at risk children.
And, this is from Belle..  it is all going on this week!

First of all, THANK YOU so much on behalf of staff and the women and kids at IWSS (a center for abused immigrant women) for all the support you (and the rest of the Givit team including donors) have provided for us. It has been an amazing year and we have truly been very fortunate in having such a great relationship with a wonderful sister organisation!!!

Just as a feedback for you guys (and your donors), we have received a total of $1,275 value of food cards which we distributed at our End of Year Celebration last week, and have actually started distributing as soon as we received them in the mail (as we have women in crisis come into our office). We were so overwhelmed by the community response and I think we were all blown away by the humble generosity and kindness people have shown. So, THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU! We cannot thank you enough, not only for the food cards, but also for the ongoing in-kind support we’ve received through your website.

I am witnessing a giving phenomenon!

Bob_needs_a_bed.org?

Here is Anna - our lovely admin@givit.org.au volunteer - she is a molecular scientist - who wants to contribute.  She is the "Charity liaison officer".  Sounds fancy but she authenticates all our charities, excluding the new organisation "Bob Needs A Bed" and other weird charities people create to try to request goods.

Surprised again!

I have been doing this for nearly a year now and people still surprise me.  My poor husband Glen had to deal with me in floods of tears in a restaurant (men hate that don't they!) when I was reading what has been donated this weekend..

Dave had committed to find a mower for the lady who has been at the bottom of the list for many many weeks ~ I was so happy I was emotional.  (Note: I was going to give the charity the sad news that we were unable to help her today).  But, he then wrote us this in reply!!

My family has decided to not give Christmas presents this year which we have been trying to do for many years.  None of us need anything.  I am therefore happy to spend on the needs of others.  I have looked at the Givit site and notice the following items are needed.

• Washing Machine
• Bar Fridge
• Swing set
• Rectangular dining table and 6 chairs
• Male bicycles
• Non perishable food
• Fishing gear
• Acoustic steel string guitar

       I will endeavour to buy all of these items but cannot guarantee they will all be new..
                                                        Dave - thank you!!

Volunteers

I am constantly amazed about the quality of good people who will work for GIVIT for free, and apply the dedication they would for a full paying job.  We have 8 (including myself) in the office, and they don't stop for lunch! Below is Kyra our GIVIT GIRL.. who works 7 days a week editing the GIVIT List and matching your donations with needing charities requesting for clients. 

Kyra works with the charities very closely and is also the one who thanks you when you donate!

I need dedicated volunteers who come in weekly, but I am matching large groups of volunteers from schools and businesses to charities seeking support.  This time of the year is especially busy as we all feel we want to connect with our community on a real level.

Note:Volunteering will be easier on the new site when it is automatic. 

People are just incredible.  I witness it every day.  A woman just donated a new washing machine and she told us her family decided that is was going to be their family Christmas donation.  I just received an email from one donor who dropped of 450 non-perishable food items and toiletries to a charity this morning.  We count both on them as one donation each!!

Tom

Okay, I am enjoying this.  My brain is enjoying the time to reflect this way!

I would like to follow on from the first blog, and talk about the role and pressure of the normal social worker and the preconceived ideas we might have about them.  A great example is our hard working "Tom".

Tom works at a homeless shelter in Brisbane ensuring that the men that he works with get secure housing after they enter exit the service.  He is the head of the "Outreach Program" which is what they usually call his position across Australia.  Tom is paid for 4 days work, but works 7.  He uses his personal mobile to keep connected to his clients, and he ensures that the men who return to the streets (sometimes with their children) are safe, and I personally believe he simply can't rest - feeling connected, as you would knowing the men personally.

Note:  The biggest rise in homelessness this year is children between he ages of 0-4.  The worst and most depressing fact of 2011.  Tom is also the head of a homeless father's outreach service, that I bet he started himself due to the high number of homeless fathers with children he cares for.

So, who is there to support Tom to do his job? Well, his existing established (large) service is now receiving less funding and also less cash donations.  They are stuck between strict organisational and religious rules and strict government funding regulations AND find it impossible to source sponsorship due to social attitudes that his service can provide EVERYTHING to every client. There are more people than ever requiring his service due to economic times and there are more clients with very difficult mental and health issues that are being neglected from other burdened services. 

Sooo, we think of the government for support.. well they told me frankly (when I went for funding earlier this year) that they are.. in their words.. "..broke! And we can't afford to pay the bills we said we would.  If GIVIT was to have funds it would go from essential services."

Black and White:  Existing services are going to find it harder, quickly. New programs (that stop the boat from leaking) will not happen.

So, you might meet Tom.  And you might find him tired and sad.  Worse still! He might not take your donation because it might not be suitable (for a client is a tiny flat) and he might come across as rude.  But be compassionate because he is on the front line and he is working for free!

Welcome!

I have been inspired by Anna Spiro - a wonderful blogger - to join the crew!  I thought my very first post would be all about how wonderful it feels to give, how phenomenal it is to witness the giving spirit, and what it is like to facilitate giving every day.. and it is a wonderful job, but today I barred my first charity from using GIVIT!

They are a very very big charity, so I won't mention their name.. The issue was that they had committed to some donations from the Virtual Warehouse and didn't organise collection of the items, and it wasn't the first time.

I was unsure how to proceed as I truely love their wonderful service but it felt that it is necessary to bar their use of GIVIT until I discussed the matter with them.
 

I always thought my biggest nightmare starting GIVIT was that something that we had received/donated ended up on eBay!  But, really, it is about loosing trust.  It seems that GIVIT's reputation is solely centered in other Charities.  If they do not collect the items it reflects on GIVIT, rather than them.  Donators (once they start the process of donating thier pre-loved items) want to act.. they love the action of giving.  So when it is hard for them, it goes against my very grain of why GIVIT is.. Giving is easy.. My goal is to keep it that way.
 

In any case all is well now, and they are back on track.  Like most people this time of year it is difficult to juggle all the balls we are dealt, but especially if you are a social worker dealing with people with very complex issues.  It is very important to remember that social workers are not super human, and don't always have the resources they need.. but that's a whole other story!