LAST CHANCE! Closes today! MN Christmas appeal 2012 - Nominations and Donations thread

[RebeccaMumsnet]

We've all seen the mini chocolate snowmen in the shops and the cries for all Christmas-based threads to be moved out of AIBU to the Christmas topic - so that can only mean one thing! It's time for the MN Christmas Appeal.
Little bit of history for those who are new to the whole idea: in the past, Mumsnetters offered to donate gifts to other Mumsnetters in need over Christmas. And you also nominated Mumsnetters to receive these gifts. Each year, a particularly saintly Mumsnetter volunteered to match up the donors with the nominees and organise a mass posting of presents.

Two years ago, we felt the Appeal had grown so large that it was too much for one person to co-ordinate - so we moved it onto the MNHQ to-do list and this will be our third year.

Here's how it works.
You have until Monday 22 October to nominate a fellow MNetter who you think has gone over and above, offered you some lovely advice, might need a little help or someone who is generally an all round luffly person.

You can nominate here

You also have until Monday 22 October to pledge your donation for a fellow MNetter. Vouchers are easier to match but we have had all sorts in the past from Christmas trees to hampers and re-gifted items. Nothing is too small.

You can donate here

We then contact all of those nominated by the 29th October and ask them for their address and age/sex of their DC, this information will need to be back to us by Friday 9 November

Nominees and donors will then be matched and we will send those who donated, their matched nominees address by Friday 23 November so that gifts can be sent well before the final Christmas post. Parcels are addressed to the MNetter of the House (unless otherwise stated) to try to maintain anonymity.

This whole process is anonymous, we do not pass over RL or Talk names.

If you would like to get a gift for someone specific then it is better to arrange it with them directly. As much as we would love to facilitate all of your Christmas wishes, we simply don't have the brain power capacity

Donors and nominees are given a number to quote to say thank you to one another following the gifts being sent out.

Any questions about the frankly terribly confusing process, please do ask.

May we be the first to wish you a very Merry Christmas

Belina, I guess for little kids that would be fine. I personally have a big hate thing with the packaging!

I think this thread needs a link to the "Random acts of kindness" thread in Classics

@BlameItOnTheCuervForHumanBlood

I have a question, can we nominate non-troll banned mners in recognition of all their good advice, support and friendship over the years, and because they are having a time of it? Esp since you hope that hq will relent when she's done her time and let her back?

If they are not a MNetter then we probably won't include them in the MN secret santa. Feel free to PM me.

Rebecca, have pmed you. and batted my eyelashes.

The John Lewis Gift List was great last year, it's guaranteed that if I have to go out and BUY something and remember to post it then I won't.}}

Can we get another gift list on ze go?

If somebody is very very nice to me I will even volunteer to put it together seeing as I'm work with my torn cruciate ligaments!

Have offered to donate. if your not giving vouchers what sort of thing would you donate if it was for a child for example?

@littlemoon14

Have offered to donate. if your not giving vouchers what sort of thing would you donate if it was for a child for example?

A toy, games etc. Anything is fine, no matter how big or small. Maybe think what your child or a child you know of a similar age would like?

Nominations and Donations are currently neck and neck, please share across the boards, only one week left to get them in.

littlemoon
I'm planning on donating one of the toys I'm getting for DS (so buying the toy twice IYSWIM). That way I know it's age appropriate and nice

Ooooh my 1st year doing this!!!

Have donated

Portofino it's Happyland stuff, so for little ones. And I always take them out of the box before wrapping them anyway, nothing works than fiddling around with ties and boxes with a toddler desperate to play with something!

*nothing worse

There are evil geniuses that design packaging for toys. All bits of plastic and wires. It pisses me right off.

I am happy to donate twice RebeccaMumsnet if there aren't enough donors. Do I fill out the form twice or just tell you that here?:o

Am spamming the threads I'm on to raise awareness

Winegless, everyone knows about it. Its stickied.

Some folk don't go on active convos though. Worth a mention as its only open till end of the week

I'm always amazed at how often people miss the stickies though, BlameIt. If you don't use Active Convos, you won't see it, I don't think.

Could MN put it as a sticky ay the top of chat and aibu?

I dunno, I just don't like the idea of people feeling guilted into donating.

I agree with that, it's just that every year people come on asking to get involved after the closing date as they haven't seen it.

Would be great to have a big klaxon alert so that everyone knows about it and can make their own minds up

There doesn't seem as much time this year tbh

I have an item arrived this morning that was bought through Storysenders. (set up by mumsnetters) As far as I knew I bought the item and Storysenders sent it straight to the refuge.

It was sent to my house. I have this item to donate now

i think it could probably do with a sticky in chat and aibu and a few other high traffic places.
Ive been on here for over 6 years and dont use active convos.
I only found it by chance when i was bored, looking at the christmas topic.
It is very early to be thinking about christmas for a lot of people, so this might not even be on their radar, they might not even be thinking of looking for it...... But, if they were to miss out on either nominating or donating they would be gutted.

( have nominated. not in a position to donate, sadly)

I only stumbled on it by chance too and think it should be stickied on all busy traffic areas!. It's a great idea but not everybody knows about it.

Hmm
Thanks for this, we will have a think at the Towers about how best to alert folk to this.
Thanks
MNHQ