Sunday, December 16, 2007

Some progress

I contacted a couple of shelters/organisations that deal with women's shelters, and one got back to me!

http://www.impactforwomen.org.au

They seem keen on the idea of having cloth pad donations, and said they were packing up 150 hampers next wed, and if I'd like to, I could include a cloth pad in each one. One pad isn't going to be helpful, but we've got around 180 sets, so we could give a set to each.... but I'll decline...because:

1). I really wanted to get these overseas to impoverished areas - and that's also what assumption the other donators were working on.

2). Ideally the cloth pads should be given as an option to women in/leaving shelters... because otherwise they are likely to be thrown away and not used. So just putting them in a hamper is probably not the best way to distribute them.

3). I'm still hoping to hear back from Oxfam.


However.... now that I've made contact with them, we might be able to gather donations for them down the track. And to at least have a place to say "if you'd like to donate a few pads, you can contact these people" is great.

I was in an abusive relationship once, and ended up having to leave with only the clothes I was wearing and no money. So to be able to help out women who were in my situation (or worse, since I was able to stay with a relative - some women have nobody) is quite a good cause too.

Thursday, December 13, 2007

13/12/07

Haven't updated in a while - sorry.

I'm still trying to find an agency to take the pads. It seems Counterpart has fallen through. The original woman I was talking to left after we'd got as far as sorting out what country we were going to send to. And the new woman in her role ended up passing my details on to a few other people, and I've not heard back from any of them.

I contacted Gloria (twice) again from the CCRF - but no reply.

I also contacted the original Oxfam contact I'd had - who I basically turned down because they wanted them as relief packages (for tsunamis and the like), and I'd wanted to have them go to women who have everyday needs. I never heard back.

I tried a different, general e-mail address for Oxfam, and no reply... and I've recently tried an e-mail address for someone to do with volunteering - so I'm hoping that will get a reply. Oxfam would be handy, as they have just opened a shop close to me, so I could take the boxes in. But we'll have to see.

I've also contacted a couple of people in regard to women's shelters.... so just waiting to hear back from them.

Its very hard to keep motivated with this when I'm having no luck getting the first lot of donations out :( I'd hoped to be doing a large run each year, but until I find an agency that will take them.... that's not going to happen.