On Donations

Working at the baby home, I have come to see a lot of the donations that we receive. All of them are given with the best intentions, but sometimes you have to wonder what they think we will do with what they have donated. We recieve weekly grocery donations from a local Woolworths, which is totally amazing and means that we get a LOT of great food we couldn't otherwise afford. In the states, it would be illegal, which is really kind of sad, but we do get some dodgy food sometimes as it is all given to us on its expiration date and some of the packages are open. However, most of the food is in great condition still and my squeamishness towards eating opened packets of food is totally gone now. This week we are enjoying a number of bags of chips that were torn open but they are very yummy. Some weeks though, we get wierd stuff and usually enough of it for Africa! The picture below is a good example. A few weeks after I arrived we got 10+ packages of brussel sprouts (a favorite of children across the world, not.) and lots of lemons and limes - way more than you could ever find a use for in your baking for a week or more before they went off! We also often get bags and bags of lettuce. Unfortunately, we haven't found a way to use it in great quantities for our kids. On those weeks, visitors to the baby home often are sent off with plastic sacks full of lettuce.
Children's toys are also always interesting to receive. Our current favorite is below. The kids love it, but we aunties find the doll a little scary! What toy manufacturer thought this was a good idea to create? I think that often donations to charity here, as opposed to the only new goods in the states, become a good way to do a spring cleaning and get rid of stuff you don't want anymore and the recipient has to go through and get rid of the wierd ones. However, on the whole we do get some awesome things - including a giant Pooh Bear and horse a few weeks ago that the kids love to jump on.
See, I told you they love it. Sometimes they walk around the house trying to do the doll's expression, which is just scary!
To end on a positive note, we do get a lot of great donations from wonderful people. The photo below was of a very timely donation of toothbrushes and toys from an American lady, just as we were getting to the point where our current toothbrushes were going to have to go. The kid love opening boxes, trying on clothes, and playing with new toys. I do plan to include a more complete wish list on this site and also in my next newsletter so that anyone who wants to send a much needed donation (either the actual object or money to buy it with) can do so. We love boxes of clothes and toys and surprises too!