Web Directions

Valentine’s day and Victoria

• By:John
• Tweet: @johnallsopp
• February 9, 2009
• Leave a response

The devastating fires, and the continuing, unfolding tragedy in Victoria have surely left no one who has heard of these recent events untouched. At moments like these, our instincts are inevitably to do something, anything to help those suffering.

There are many options, for donating blood, money, clothes, toys and more, outlined here at the ABC

But here’s a thought to perhaps galvanize you, your friends, family and neighbours into action.

This Saturday is Valentine’s day. Valentine is a mythical saint, and no longer considered a real saint by the Catholic church. But one story about Valentine is that he was a martyr for his faith, and before his execution, restored the sight of his gaoler’s daughter.

So, in the spirit of this Valentine, not the valentine of a million tacky cards and heart shaped stuffed toys, here’s something you can do (and at Web Directions we’ll help) to lend some assistance those affected.

Why not invite friends, family and neighbours to your place this Saturday. Ask each of them to bring toys, good quality clothing, and/​or to make a donation. Provide some food — it doesn’t have to be anything fancy (in my experience a few Pastizzi go a long way), and ask each to bring something to drink — and on top of hopefully collecting much needed money, clothes and toys, linen and blankets, let’s appreciate what we have, that so many of those affected by the fires have lost — friendship, family, hearth and home.

We’ll be doing that in our local community of Bundeena, where we are no stranger to bushfires (if you would like to drop by here, contact us and we’ll let you know where)
If you plan on doing this, let us know, and we’ll gladly pass on the word, and if you like, we’ll help coordinate how donations can get to people like the Salvos, so that they can get to those who need them most. Heck, if you are in the Sydney area, we’ll even come round and collect clothing, toys and the likes, and get them to the Salvation Army and similar agencies.

Our best intentions can be so often waylaid with the myriad things in our lives — perhaps this might be a way to help ensure those intentions become actions.

And, if you think it is a good idea, please help spread the idea far and wide, via your blogs, twitter, and any other way you can think.

7 responses to “Valentine’s day and Victoria”:

1. • By:Lisa
   • February 9th, 2009
   

   This is a great idea John.

   I’d really like to add something to this idea based on an interview I saw this morning with a psychologist who was talking about the impact of losing everything in the fires.

   I’d like to suggest, that rather than donating clothes, you sell them at a market or have a weekend fair like you’ve suggested above. sell your clothes to each other and then *donate the money* to the Red Cross.

   Apparently there is a lot contributed to healing by providing money so that people in need like this can rebuild their lives the way they want to, wearing clothes they would like to wear.

   Donated clothes will most likely wind up in big bins and distributed to shops anyway.

   Get together and sell sausages and cakes and if you can, *Give Blood*.

2. • By:John
   • February 9th, 2009
   

   thanks lisa!

   j

3. • By:Ben Barren - Confessions of a Mad Man » First Hand Social Media Reportage Missing in #bushfires
   • February 9th, 2009

   […] Marysville, a stunning little town, is no more. […]

4. • By:Sara Lander
   • February 9th, 2009
   

   You are absolutely right Lisa and we are hoping that people will mostly donate in the form of money, but in the case of a lot of people with young children they simply don’t have the time to shop to replace all their childrens’ clothes and toys. Fortunately children get excited by “new” things whether they are second hand or brand new from the shop. Also there is a culture among parents of handing on old baby clothes and toys to each other without it seeming like charity or seen to be insulting, children grow so fast some fantastic things may be worn only once or twice. Plus they need the clothes that they can wreck, all so wasteful if bought new.

   Just as a case in point, a friend of one of my ‘internet mummies’ has lost everything, has a 3 year old daughter and a baby due in 9 weeks. She is begging for hand me down clothes and baby paraphernalia as she simply cannot get out to replace them.

5. • By:Lisa
   • February 9th, 2009
   

   Yes they must be desperate to get their hands on anything. I really hope manufacturers will donate clothing and nappies etc as well. there is just so much that they need isn’t there?

6. • By:john Allsopp
   • February 10th, 2009
   

   Another thing I’ll be following up on with some agencies is do folks need laptops and computers? Kids who might need them for school and have lost them in the fires.

   If so, we will do a drive to have you out there donate older, but useful computers, ready to go, so that these kids don’t suffer from slipping behind at school due to lack of such resources.

   Stay tuned

   j

7. • By:Local Government Web Network » Help victims of the bushfires in Victoria
   • February 12th, 2009

   […] And here’s a nice idea from John Allsopp at Web Directions to gather your mates and donate what you can in the spirit of St Valentine. […]

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