Very Miscellaneous Topic

[Kiwi-family]

A group of friends and I have been making woolen blankets and clothing to donate to LILY, a one-woman-band distributing goods to (mostly Syrian) refugees in Turkey.
Initially my sister-in-law was going to take packages back to Istanbul with her when she returns to her teaching post there after Christmas but that option has fallen through.
Then someone said DHL was delivering parcels for refugees at cost, but they have not replied to my repeated emails so it would appear that's an urban myth.
Contacting airlines has been similarly fruitless.
Newest idea: the kids and I are travelling up to Spain in May and could bring packages with us seeing as we just take carry-on backpacks for ourselves. Sending them from Madrid ought to be so much cheaper than from New Zealand.
Does anyone have experience with any particular transporting company that is not exorbitantly priced? I am currently awaiting replies from a few that I have found via a google search, but someone on the ground might have a better idea. Or maybe someone is taking a road trip from Madrid to Kusadasi starting on May 2nd and would take a couple of boxes along...OK so maybe that's a wild shot, more likely that someone will be walking to Rome and they would not want to carry 20kg!

 

[annakappa]

Maybe you could find an agency that will take care of them? If not in N.Z., then once in Spain? I'll contact my two Syrian friends and ask if they can give an idea.

 

[Kiwi-family]

Thanks Anna. I'm hoping to have something lined up so that when I arrive we can take the parcels wherever they need to go during the few hours we have in Madrid.

 

[2kiwis]

I have I have been trying to get donated sheets,bras and baby clothes to Vanuatu but not having much success either ,have started a give a little page to pay for freight .
I think best option is to take them with you as check in luggage and contact Red Cross and get them to pick them up from you.
Hopefully they will get to the right destination ,but unfortunately there are a lot of currupt people in the world taking advantage ,good luck

 

[Fritz]

Hi @Kiwi-family and others:

Here is a place to start with connections and information and lots of direct contact information in Lesvos, Greece http://lesvosvolunteers.com

From the site:
On Lesvos, several local teams of volunteers are at work : you will find a presentation of each team on the “About us” page. The latest news of this network of solidarity are on the “What’s up” page.

Some of these groups my be able to help with transport or connections in Turkey, too.

I read in the last few days one of the airlines is allowing packages without a weigh surcharge, but I don't recall which one.

 

[Kiwi-family]

Thanks for that. My news is that I have found a group in Madrd, just 500m from the hostel we'll be overnighting in, who are eager to take what we have. They do weekly trips to Lesbos and Calais - so we'll donate to them.

 

[annakappa]

Thanks Anna. I'm hoping to have something lined up so that when I arrive we can take the parcels wherever they need to go during the few hours we have in Madrid.

Hi Rachael,
I have sent you a PM this morning. I also found a contact in Madrid they would deliver to Lebanon, where she says the situation is dire. She is not so keen on the reliability of delivery in Turkey! Obviously you need to deliver with the least hassle possible! Let me know!

 

[Anniesantiago]

Hi Rachael,
I have sent you a PM this morning. I also found a contact in Madrid they would deliver to Lebanon, where she says the situation is dire. She is not so keen on the reliability of delivery in Turkey! Obviously you need to deliver with the least hassle possible! Let me know!

Anna, can you send me that information also?

 

[David]

Aww - how kind you are. Have you thought of publicising a local public fund-raising auction - the local media would be interested, as would the local churches, and selling the blankets at home .. then donating the money to established charitable organisations already on the ground over there?

 

[annakappa]

Annie, can you send me a PM and I'll give you my friends email in England. This goes for anyone else too!
FYI Adriaan and I used to live in Syria and we still have contacts. The girl I know and with whom I have regular contact, is daughter if a close English friend, married to a Syrian and they still live in Damascus. The daughter has lived in England for about the last 20 years, but has become very active trying to help the various agencies and getting contacts.

 

[Kiwi-family]

Here's the group that I have had contact with.
https://www.facebook.com/bienvenidorefugiadomadrid/

David, I understand your line of reasoning - in fact, I would usually take that kind of approach. However, this time I had been gifted a large amount of wool and so a few friends started making blankets, inspired by the way a very small organisation was working in Turkey - it's actually a one-woman-band. LILY, standing for Love in the Language of Yarn. She has distributed thousands and thousands of items to refugees, funds a bakery supplying brad to five villages, organised water filters, baby milk formula, cloth nappies/diapers....all sorts of stuff. While we were keen to support her endeavour, we are just as happy for the blankets and clothing we have made to go to refugees elsewhere, and that is why I am carrying it with me to Spain in May! In fact, now that we know for sure that the kids and I will be personally taking it, we are going to do a drive in the new year to see if we can gather 100kg of gear (we currently have made only 22kg)

http://love-in-the-language-of-yarn...-it-your-new-year-resolution-to.html?spref=fb

 

[Tia Valeria]

@2kiwis - can I suggest that for Vanuatu you try the Mothers Union - they are world wide and there is a strong presence in Vanuatu, their diocesan MU is linked to our diocesan MU (Exeter UK) and your New Zealand branches might be able to help you with contacts etc.