Be mindful when donating, says Durban North Baby Home
A NPO manager took to social media to vent about the poor condition of a clothing donation the organisation had received. She urges the community to be more considerate when making donations and to only donate what can still be used or worn.
NON-PROFIT organisations will all agree that they rely heavily on donations from the community and may not be able to function without it.
Also read: Durban North organisation grows children’s futures
Some donations however, lack thought and consideration as a huge chunk of the items can’t be used or worn as they are extensively tarnished, torn or damaged.
For those who are donating goods, especially pre-loved items, Jo Teunissen of The Baby Home Durban North, encourages all to take a look at the condition of the item first before donating.
She recently posted a picture of a moldy vest on Facebook which had been donated to the Baby Home, stating that this is a regular occurrence.
“This is not the first time the Baby Home has received items that can’t be used because they are in such bad condition. This has been heavy on my heart so I posted on Facebook in the hope that people will take a better look at what they donate. A child can’t use moldy or torn clothes. They also can’t play with broken toys or complete a puzzle where pieces are missing,” said Teunissen.
She said that particular bag of clothes that had been donated must have been lying around for ages and probably even got wet.
“Insect eggs, mold and fungus was on every item in the bag. Over the years we have also received stained clothes with yoghurt stuck on it, dentures, wisdom teeth and even a walking ring that had cement on it,” she said.
“We rely heavily on the community for donations but if your family can’t wear it because it is so damaged, how can another child use it? Our babies also deserve dignity and respect. I will never let them wear something stained or torn,” she added.
With every bad donation, she said comes the good ones too which Teunissen says she can see a lot of pride had been put into it.
“We won’t be able to survive without the support of the community. Some clothes are washed and neatly packed in bags. Puzzles come in boxes and all pieces are there. Toys are still in good, working condition. We are most grateful for our community and would not survive without their support,” she said.
In the midst of Mandela Month and with Mandela Day around the corner, she encourages all to put love into their donations and not to donate items that can’t be used.
“We are already low on resources so to sort through all the things we can’t use takes a lot of time. We also have to then discard the items we can’t use. NPOs don’t have that manpower and it takes up a huge chunk of our time,” said Teunissen.
She also advises contacting the NPO before you donate as they may have specific items they are looking for.
“Remember, if you or your family can’t wear or use something, another person can’t either,” she said.
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