How/where to donate gloves/scarves?

debandpat123

okay then, i guess this is as good a place as any to jump into the water! it's my first post, so please be kind. went to the "dollar" store and bought us gloves and scarves, as i understand it can be chilly in delhi in december-january. then i thought, if I'm prepared to be cold as a tourist, how cold are the people living on the street? after that i wondered... if we took 100 pair of gloves and warm scarves, would it help anyone? (to give instead of money or candy.) we are indian "newbies". don't wanna be naieve, but any relief of human suffering in which i could help a bit would be a small step easily done. please tell me what you think. peace, debandpat

burf

when are you going to land in India though?

debandpat123

we will land on december 18. from my research i understand that the low may be 7 degrees C? we're from colorado usa so that is do-able for me, but just want to be prepared! peace, deb

machadinha

Please check this whole thread on weather averages: India climate chart .

ps On your other question, yes, you could enquire with your hotel for instance on where to leave any such goods you brought, they'll know. They can as well be bought on the spot though, I wouldn't go lugging tons of stuff around. Another thing is as a newcomer and esp. to a place like Delhi I wouldn't go passing this out on the streets, no matter what your good intentions you'll likely soon feel like the Pied Piper with a whole lotta beggars in tow. This could be done in smaller places and once you've acclimatized some I guess, and again not passing stuff out by the dozens. In that case, better hook up with some local charity you feel comfortable with and arrange with them I guess, whether donating material goods or money.

If it's anything remotely fancy you mean to bring, chances are it will just be sold on of course. nb You were (perhaps rhetorically) asking how cold are people on the street; street and slum dwellers in Northern India at least do freeze to death in winter of course, even if it's not strictly freezing. So I think it's a nice sentiment as such.

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puchoo

Last yea saw it go down to as little as 1 degree c , so yes it does get pretty cold....who knows , we might see snow in Delhi sometime soon!!!

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livinhimalayas

A noble but impractical idea. As Mach said, you will be swamped to say the heast. If you really want to do a good turn then I would advice you to find an orphanage or an NGO working with slum children or go to an old age home and distribute the things there. Or you could also look up Missionaries of Charity (the Organisation started by Mother Teresa) and leave the stuff with them for distributing to deserving people through their organisation.

migrantuxo

This is the way to go!!!!!!!!!!!1

I have worked for NGO's and UN org's doing everything from disaster relief to Demining and the official way is usually the best....but even then your stuff can end up for resale on the market.

I remember that in the end of the 90's the only cans of tuna available in Bosnia had the japanese logo and said it was a free gift from the people of japan...they used to cost 1 dollar a can.

Mother Theresa's nuns are a very good option though...... they are more than special and need all the support they can get

Robert

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machadinha

Yes, agreed with all the above. Another thing of course is buying stuff on the ground will not only be cheap, but support the local market while you're at it (and, while less romantic perhaps, a financial donation may really make that much more sense, as it will allow a bona fide organization to spend it on just what they need).

I think all in all best is to just land first, get a feeling for the country, then find a place and a way to skip in later during your travels if you want, which shouldn't be hard at all if you keep your eyes open and your ears peeled. There will be any number of org.'s of any number of denominations working in any number of fields; the merits of each can then surely be discussed forever, but just follow your heart and your common sense with it I guess.

debandpat123

thanks for the more reasonable and useful suggestions... yes, i'll figure out something to do once i get there. peace, deb (and oopsy, i didn't mean to "hijack a thread", whatever that is... like i said, i'm new here. ;o(

haydn

good on you deb and pat! giving on the streets is sometimes a complex process in my experience...and will possibly leave you with mixed feelings. that being said, you've got to go with your heart and work it out as you go along.
i like machadinha's idea of sourcing locally which gives twice, and also giving through an organisation. when in Diu (Gujarat), in a street market we found people selling piles of second hand ski jackets and pants! cheap as chips but weird, since it was about hot weather and hundreds of kilometres from what i consider the cold!... would've been GREAT in Delhi!
have a great trip.

Diana

What a wonderful warm heart you have Deb. Always feels good to "meet" someone who's mind works like yours "if I'm cold...what about...: Lovely.

Here is a link to an organization called Give India. They help all sorts of NGOs here to gather donations of all types AND they do so by making sure the NGOs being helped are legitimate. That way if you give funds or gifts you know your donation is going to the people you wish to help and not just admin costs or a scam. The NGOs they support undergo a lengthly screening process and are shown to be honest, and so forth. And they help small, unknown organization without the name recognition of the international groups or famous ones.

http://www.giveindia.org/

One other thought: If you are coming from the U.S. the cost of transporting items like clothing makes such gifts cost so much more than what you spend (or what your dollars can provide) here in India. For a $1 at the Dollar Store (a fave place of mine when I'm home in Washington) you could purchase several pairs of gloves, hats, scarves, etc and at the same time support a local business or woman who makes such things in the community you wish to help. That way you help both the local economy a bit while making the resource you wish to give available to the people. "Two mangos with one stone"

Peace. Diana

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debandpat123

thank you all for your kind wishes and helpful advice. it makes much more sense to contribute when i'm there, on the ground, and have a "feel" for india, if that is possible! yep it's my first trip . just want to leave with more than i take away. (yeah, i'm one of those bleeding heart liberals from the US) peace, debandpat

debandpat123

sorry meant to say leave more than i take away. peace, debandpat

The_Wanderer

Deb, Hats off to you for your noble thoughts. If you are coming to north India (Among the coldest regions of India), then one organisation which is doing real great work is Pingalwara. Check their site http://www.pingalwaraonline.org.
You will be glad that your donation reached the right hands.

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debandpat123

hi.. i'm only one little person who wants to give. i'm afraid to go..so scared my heart will break. also hope that i can help someone...anyone. my best read was "city of joy" by lapierre. yep, any work by Mother Theresa deserves my attention and dollars. peace, deb and pat