******************Important thread - please read - EVERYONE********************

[soapbox]

OK!

I'm distressed reading about those of you who are worried sick about Christmas and having no money to buy things for your children!

Rather than sit of my ample backside and do nothing I have the following proposal to make.

Those of you who have old toys/gifts which are in good condition, or who are willing to buy a new gift for a child can register your contributions with me.

Those of you who are down on your uppers can send me your details - name, address, age and gender of children, what kind of things they like!

Those lovely MN who will send me Christmassy things will be matched up with those people who would like a bit of a hand with Christmas.

Those giving pressies will wrap the pressie and label it 'To XXX from Santa', and then send it to the address given to them.

If people receiving presents want to remain anonymous then I can ask people to send their contributions to me, and I will forward them onto the gift receiver, I will bear the postage cost of the onwards posting!

If people want to help, but have no toys etc to do so, then a small amount on a gift voucher for woolies, argos or the like can be sent instead!

Please post on this thread whether you think it is a winger - if we get at least 10 givers and 10 receivers then I will go ahead with it, and will post my email address to start the ball rolling!

Receivors must be regular MNetters, in case we are deluged from other sites

So it is over to you guys - good idea or not???

Just received an e-mail from soapbox as a giver! Thanks soapbox; you are doing a stellar job!

I haven't had a givers E-Mail BUT I am imagining this to be a nightmare job and not too worried atm, if I haven't heard in a day or two i will assume it has gone awol. My e-mail is peachesandcream04.

I have emailed you soapbox. This is such a wonderful, festive idea! We have a few things suitable for boys or girls that I'd love to wrap up and send on to someone else. How exciting, its like a giant secret santa (kind of!)

I have emailed you soapbox

Just having a break - about 1/3 of the way through the giver's emails - but it takes a while

Feeling all warm and fuzzy now - as I am starting to be able to kind of see who will be matched with which families - and it's nice thinking of how it might all come together

Well done - what a terrific lot you are

Hmmm - in case the pedants spot me - that should have said givers'

LOL

just saw nannyme's post and i could do the same thing over here if there are other irish receivers hate the feeling of sitting on my ass not doing anything in return for such generosity on everyones part.

I don't think there are any more receivers where you and nannyme are, but nominations are still coming in - so I'll keep an eye out and let you both know

Thanks!

I have received your email

this thread makes me smile everytime i see it in active convos. soapy you shouldn't be so modest, this is an amazing thing your doing.

Hoping you got my reply Soapy - as it was direct from your CAT I'm hoping you can see what my mn name is as it's not in my e-mail to you

e-mail server down at the moment or I'd re-send adding my MN name.

Thankyou! Thankyou! Thankyou! to all you lovely nominators

Wabbit - can you resend it with your MN name on it please!

I'm sure I do have it - but there are 3 or 4 with no MN name on them and so I can't tie them up to the all important list

***
UPDATE

I have now sent out emails to all givers. So please check your emails today

If you have volunteered but have not had an email then please send an email to:

soapbox1964 at yahoo dot co dot uk

With - 'Overlooked Giver and your MN name' in the subject box!

**

Off to bed now - talk to you tomorrow

Will do as soon as the Warwick server is back online

only just found this thread.....i would like to be a GIVER....i will email you....

this is so wonderful...i've been so upset about the farepak people....we were given a salvation army hamper and toys a few years back cos we were struggling...so now i want to retrn the favour.

just seen this also...emailed you soapbox as giver.......match me with anybody.

Message withdrawn

have sent you back the details you requested soapy.

it really is fab you're doing this

Bump

wabbit - you don't work at Warwick Uni do you?

Oh my goodness. I've only just seen this. You are so thoughtful. I can buy an extra present this year. Will email you. Are you O.K. to organise this? It looks huge!

Could you give an idea somehow of what sex/age to buy, for those who can buy anything? There may be plenty of presents coming in for girls under 5, whereas there are less presents for boys between 10-15 (just a completely random example pulled out of the air). Could you have bands of ages to buy for and people specify. This might be pretty complicated to do but it might help even things out if you think you can?

ponko, forms have gone out by soapbox asking for all the info...she's right on to it...bless her heart squeezeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

ponka* ..sorry

I sent a couple of nominations yesterday soapy. Did you get them?

Not sure if I shoudl be asking or waiting patiently but just wanted to check that the email worked!

Becca - got your email

Not intending on emailing back those that nominated - too much work involved!

When someone is nominated then if they meet the criteria that we set (one of yours did, one didn't) then we CAT the person nominated and if they reply saying they want to be considered then we get details off them, as for the other reciepients. However, if we have complete RL address details along with family names and ages, we are just going to play complete secret santa

There is a backlog of nominations waiting to be dealt with - but I will try and make time today to send out some CATs.

HTH