MicrostockGroup

Hi everyone,

Last year I presented to you the program our Mail does for Christmas, in which we adopt a letter written by poor children to Santa Claus, we buy the present and the Mail delivers it. 
http://www.microstockgroup.com/off-topic/christmas-donations-if-anyone-wants-to-help-me/25/

They have already started this year's campaign:
http://www.correios.com.br/papainoelcorreios2010/index.html

I have started collecting money from friends and colleagues by running a second-hand CD auction. Last year we collected around US$1600 with the auction, plus US$400 in extra donations, plus US$300 collected from you guys here (enough for 21 kids from 6 months old to 9 years old - thank you once again!).

We give preference to small children's requests and try to comply with them as much as possibe and feasible. Sometimes they ask for something very expensive (such as those huge Barbie kits) and then we try to get a cheaper equivalent (such as a smaller Barbie kit), so we can pick more chldren.  We did however buy some bicycles (5 last year), as we know this is a dream toy for so many children.

In case anyone wants to help this year, money could be sent to my PP or MB accounts - both _adelaidebs_at_hotmail_dot_com_.  PM me if you want to join this effort, so I can check these accounts and acknowledge the donations.

Not to live the last-minute-shopping stress from last year - I was buying the last presents three days before Christmas - I will be collecting these contributions until Dec. 10.

I'm in too. 

Great cause. 1st paypal sent another one later in the month.

US$210.

I didn't really remember that, sorry! 

US$230 now, then.

I was already checking a store's toy promotions this week. I plan to go to the mail later this week to pick up the first letters.

US$260 now!!

Ok, done.
Money and a short message sent to you, via PayPal.
Thank you Adelaide and best of luck with the project

US$310 now - thanks everyone!

We're almost at the amount collected last year (US$330).

US$340 already.

385$ now

Hey guys, the mail will be receiving presents only until Dec 17th, so I will be accepting donation only until Dec 6th (tomorrow) and then I will request money from PP to my credit card on Dec 7th.

We're having difficulties picking letters.  The mail this year changed their organization, they're accepting only letters from students in selected schools of poor neighborhoods.  In the agency I visited, the lady received about 1,000 letters, but after a week, not having many adoptions, she transferred half of the letters to the central mail agency, but the week after a group from a company nearby adopted most of the remaining letters. When I went there on Friday, she had only six left, but more were to arrive in the afternoon and she was going to ask the central agency to send back some of the letters.  I can go to the central agency, the problem is to take presents there.  In the past I used a mail agency inside a mall, so it was very convenient, but this year they are not part of the official program, even if they are surrounded by slums and receive many letters from needy children. 

Thank you Eireann!

We're facing problems withthe campaign this year - lack of letters.  The mail decided to use a different approach.  Apparently they are discarding letters sent to Santa spontaneously.  Instead, they selected some public schools in poorer areas.  There are two agencies near my office, in one I got aproximately 30 letters (all they had left), the other is out of letters.  Moreover, kids asked presents that are a bit expensive - skateboards and in-line skates, for instance.  Sometimes we see two-three kids of the same classroom asking the same, so we are trying to accomodate these.  Although we have a good amount to spend (I have not even finished spending the money collected at work), we don't intend to spend US$80 in average. Tomorrow I will try to get more letters at the Mail's main office.

We still haven't started using the money collected here. We are trying to arrange also to "adopt" a créche in a slum near our office, I know a guy who used to work in social activities there sponsoroed by our company.

I am not collecting the money from here right now, it's still in my PP account.  Depending on how things go, I will return you all the donations. 

^^^   Madelaide-  I trust you to do something worthwhile with this money to help the kids. Please don't return my donation. Even if there is no sign on the wall. Although that would be cool...