Author Topic: "Adopt a Santa Claus letter" Christmas beneficent campaign (Read 56953 times)

madelaide · « **on:** November 12, 2010, 19:43 »

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.

Blufish · « **Reply #1 on:** November 12, 2010, 23:16 »

I'm in. I'll pm you.

Clivia · « **Reply #2 on:** November 13, 2010, 01:27 »

I'm in too.

lisafx · « **Reply #3 on:** November 13, 2010, 09:16 »

Great cause! Just sent you my latest Crestock payout

fotografer · « **Reply #4 on:** November 13, 2010, 10:49 »

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

madelaide · « **Reply #5 on:** November 13, 2010, 11:30 »

You guys rock! Got US$190 already!

madelaide · « **Reply #6 on:** November 14, 2010, 11:38 »

US$210.

RacePhoto · « **Reply #7 on:** November 14, 2010, 22:12 »

Quote from: madelaide on November 14, 2010, 11:38

US$210.

Please apply the payment I sent you PayPal last year, which was too late.

Best Wishes for the project.

madelaide · « **Reply #8 on:** November 15, 2010, 10:50 »

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.

madelaide · « **Reply #9 on:** November 21, 2010, 18:25 »

Not to let this thread disappear!

I've also created a video about the campaign. It's in Portuguese only, but it shows excerpts of some of the letters I picked last year. Some were written by the parents, some by the children themselves.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IRQ1ywJRZcY[/youtube]

PS: Is it possible to get rid of Google as in my videos? I never noticed it in my lovebirds videos, which are in another account.

madelaide · « **Reply #10 on:** November 23, 2010, 15:49 »

US$260 now!!

Eireann · « **Reply #11 on:** November 23, 2010, 16:22 »

Ah, I remember last year's thread!
It's a great cause Madelaide, thank you for doing this!
I didn't have any money in my PayPal account last year, but I do now.
Count me in and thank you for allowing me to participate.
I'll send you a PM soon.
Thank you!

Eireann · « **Reply #12 on:** November 23, 2010, 16:41 »

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

jbarber873 · « **Reply #13 on:** November 24, 2010, 15:57 »

Quote from: Eireann on November 23, 2010, 16:41

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

+1

madelaide · « **Reply #14 on:** November 24, 2010, 16:24 »

US$310 now - thanks everyone!

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

Opla · « **Reply #15 on:** November 25, 2010, 11:26 »

PM'd you yesterday...

madelaide · « **Reply #16 on:** November 27, 2010, 14:53 »

US$340 already.

madelaide · « **Reply #17 on:** November 27, 2010, 16:25 »

US$365 now. The number of days in a year.

fotografer · « **Reply #18 on:** November 27, 2010, 18:58 »

Quote from: madelaide on November 27, 2010, 16:25

US$365 now. The number of days in a year.

385$ now

madelaide · « **Reply #19 on:** November 28, 2010, 13:23 »

Quote from: fotografer on November 27, 2010, 18:58

Quote from: madelaide on November 27, 2010, 16:25
US$365 now. The number of days in a year.
385$ now

Oh, I had thought it was a mistake, since you had already sent me US$20. So disconsider my email, and thank you so much.

madelaide · « **Reply #20 on:** December 05, 2010, 16:53 »

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.

Eireann · « **Reply #21 on:** December 06, 2010, 20:43 »

Thank you for keeping us updated, Madelaide.
And thank you for everything you've done for the kids. It's a beautiful cause and you're doing a great job. I can see that it's not easy to get everything sorted and ready for Christmas.
Good luck and thank you for allowing us to be a small part of this.
See you next year

madelaide · « **Reply #22 on:** December 07, 2010, 20:32 »

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.

RacePhoto · « **Reply #23 on:** December 10, 2010, 17:54 »

Quote from: madelaide on December 07, 2010, 20:32

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.

Fine with me but what's a, créche? I searched and it says Daycare Center.

They can put a little piece of paper on the wall saying "Partially Supported by donations from MicrostockGroup" that would be kind of cool?

Or post a scan of a thank you note and I'm good.

jbarber873 · « **Reply #24 on:** December 10, 2010, 17:58 »

^^^ 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...

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Author Topic: "Adopt a Santa Claus letter" Christmas beneficent campaign (Read 56953 times)

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