Volunteering at Christmas

[Sunny Saver]

Hi

Someone on Freecycle said she was helping at Crisis the homeless charity (London) over Christmas. She asked us to put a little extra (toiletries/food etc) in our shopping baskets and she'd collect our donations from us. I've got together a bagful of stuff that I've not used, new.

I emailed her yesterday and left my mobile with her to ring me to arrange a time. Instead she emailed me this morning and asked when would be convenient to come. I told her to come at 1pm.

It's now almost 6pm and she's not rung, so obviously she's not coming, which is a bit of a waste.

I've posted on Freecycle to see if anyone else is volunteering and would be able to take the bag, but I thought I'd post on here too to see if anyone here is volunteering and would be willing to take the donation to Crisis.

If so, please PM me.

Thanks.

[Beate]

I was actually looking into volunteering for Crisis.
You have to fill in an application form and agree to some really horrible hours and still they seem to be oversubscribed for helpers. I would have done a few hours of my choosing but with OH I can't do the hours they are asking.
Best of luck with your donations. I tried to give some stuff to a foodbank but couldn't even find out where the nearest to me is. Apparently Tesco did some collections some weeks ago but I was too late for that.
Wish people would make it a little easier when you physcially want to help instead of just donate money.
Haven't found freecycle much of a help so far either.

[Celini]

I am. 24th, 25th and 26th. I'd suggest you come meet me there directly tomorrow (shift starts at 7.45 am )

[Sunny Saver]

TBH, my original post contained a bit of ranting, but I thought, deep breathes, don't rant, it's for charity. The freegler had said she could pick up yesterday or today, so when I emailed her yesterday I asked her to ring me and come yesterday. This morning she emailed and said my email went into Spam. Surely she could have rung, like I asked or checked her Spam folder/added me to contacts so it didn't go to Spam.

I hope she makes a better volunteer than a freelger.

[Ms Thrifty]

Bit late now, but for any future interest, it can be easier to volunteer with smaller, more local charities than the big, well-known ones who, as above, tend anyway to be oversubscribed, especially at Xmas. Most towns seem to have a volunteer bureau which matches charities with volunteers - both OH and I have found voluntary work that way.

[Celini]

it's true. I am pretty sure Shelter, Centrepoint and churches (and others) have similar volunteering opportunities over the holidays.

Crisis is huge though; I was very surprised but Crisis at Christmas is the 2nd biggest volunteering opportunity out there (the biggest being the 2012 Olympics). They have over 8500 volunteers over the xmas week (and this is a London only charity!).

[Ms Thrifty]

Well done to all of you who are volunteering, or have tried to!

[Sunny Saver]

(and this is a London only charity!).

It's actually expanded in recent years: Coventry, Newcastle. Edinburgh, Birmingham, Oxford, merseyside, Yorkshire. However, not sure if others do COC.

I'm trying to convince myself it doesn't matter if my 'goody bag' doesn't get there, as I got OH to do a cash donation last week and I always do my 'loose change' donation there... But TBH I am still miffed, but pretending I'm not. Even went to mum's to get stuff.

Why post asking for items if you're not going to show up?

[Diane65]

(and this is a London only charity!).

It's actually expanded in recent years: Coventry, Newcastle. Edinburgh, Birmingham, Oxford, merseyside, Yorkshire. However, not sure if others do COC.

I'm trying to convince myself it doesn't matter if my 'goody bag' doesn't get there, as I got OH to do a cash donation last week and I always do my 'loose change' donation there... But TBH I am still miffed, but pretending I'm not. Even went to mum's to get stuff.

Why post asking for items if you're not going to show up?

I don't wonder that you are miffed as you have b*ght the stuff in good faith to give to some needy person only to be let down by someone claiming to be helping at Christmas. It's abusing your kindness causing you to feel bitter about something that should be warming your heart, its the high to the low making you feel sad. Take care Sunny saver.

[Sunny Saver]

Tbh Diane, I didn't b*y specifically for her, but it's all new stuff lying around the house and mum's.

Now I'm irritated with yahoo. I asked on freecycle if anyone else was volunteering there and could take the stuff. Yahoo has lumped all responses together, which is confusing if names are similar.

But I just don't get why ask people to b*y and then not show up? That's worse than normal freeglers doing a no show!