Donations

As I had mentioned in previous posts, I have been finding it difficult to dig into the wallet to find some cash to donate to the relief efforts in Sichuan.  I adopted a wait and see attitude towards the whole thing.  Partially to see what the domestic response would be and partly to find a reliable source to pass along goods for donation.  In situations like this, cash just seems too easy for someone to skim off the top.  I think we all learned valuable lessons from the monies donated to 9-11 relief as well as Katrina relief.  Some commenters would call me an a*hole...while I call myself cautious.  Too often we have experienced the joy of passing along charitable donations to orphanages, schools, villages, only to return to each of them and find that none of the items we donated had made it to any kids or families.

A reliable source (our kids school) to pass along stuff has been found and the pile of stuff we have had in our home is ready to go; 100kg of rice, blankets galore, bags of food, excess shoes (that is the big black bag), brand new sleeping bags which the kids were to use on sleepovers and towels and other goodies (the picture doesn't capture it all).   

My pessimism had spread through the locals, which again, I was being cautious in my approach.  I wanted to see just what the response would be.  Too often I have experienced events at work in which we would try and do charitable work, only to have 5 or 6 people show up (and usually 1/2 are expats).  But, my co-workers have impressed me by chiming in for over RMB100,000 (USD12,000)!!  That is just cash donations among co-workers...it's very humbling.

Here's hoping it all gets where it needs to get to...