Can anyone help, i need to do this, as selfish as it sounds

[fairyfly]

I want to go to thai now. I believe in my heart i can do loads. I am great at not loosing it, sorting things out, problem solving, keeping calm, hugging kissing.I have sorted out child care and booked a flight. I need money to help me pay for that flight. Please please let me go out.

I have just heard about a friend of a friend who is going out there, but she is a highly-qualified sewage engineer who will help with sorting out the sanitation, clean water, etc.

I think you are so brilliant, FF, for wanting to do this but tbh at the moment what they need out there is people with expert skills. And in fact the charities have actually been quite blunt in saying that all they want from the rest of us is our money, and I think that's fair enough.

Hmb is right though - give it another couple of days and I bet there will be all sorts of fundraising/rebuilding opportunities - you could get in touch with your ds's schools to see what could be done, maybe?

Hey, FF. Agree with everyone- it's great that you want to help in such a personal way. I agree with hmb and others that fundraising might be the way forward, as all the NGOs seem to be after cash rather than active help. What about a parachute jump/hang-glide or something like that if raffles/bring and buy sales/collecting cash in a bucket all seems a bit tame? I will sponsor you for sure.

After this thread i am now persuading my friend who has already booked his ticket not to go! Hes just told me to make my bloody mind up. I also have rang the local priest and nabbed free use of the church hall, no idea what to do in it, but there you go. I have also decised not to bother going to a party tonight and spend the night at my parents house, i am lucky to have them and should appreciate this, it wont always be the case. Sometimes i should think before posting, i thankyou all for listening, any church hall ideas gratefully recieved, good idea re parachute jump but i think people will give anyway. Have a wonderful New Year xx

Just caught up with this, babe. Right. Let's think about how you can USE that church hall to best effect...xxxxxxxxxxxx

FF- your comment- 'sometimes I should think before posting'- today why... wanting to go out there to help is fantastic- don't feel regret for being humanitarian- wanting to go was a fantastic thing. I'm sure that you'll collect loads of money for the cause- whatever you do.

A village near me has already had a table top sale to raise money for SE Asia, FF - you could do the same in your free hall. People sold their unwanted Xmas presents and stuff like unopened bottles of wine and chocs as well as the usual stuff. Teas and coffees usually make a fair bit of money, too.

Only just seen this FF .. I think it was a lovely thought and its just symptomatic of how everyone feels this desperate need to help

How about doing a coffee morning / cake sale / table top sale in your church hall?

unwanted christmas present sale?
mid winter fancy dress party to brighten up a dreary Jan/Feb saturday?
quiz night?
Any members of once famous bands retired to your area? can you contact them and see if they would put on a performance for charity? (see if you can find out what music people live locally)... will keep thinking.

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ff, oxfam are desperate for people to help out in their shops, they need approx 10,000 extra staff, or they will have to close certain shops as they cant cope with charity clothes donations, may be worth enquiring??

Been deliberating whether to bring this thread back up as i feel like a bit of a tit thinking i could have actually done something and i especially hate the thread title, anyway sod it, i wanted to share this lovely letter i just recieved

Dear .......,

How kind of you to offer your services to the Salvation Army and through us to the many in need of assistance as a result of the tsunami.
Many, like you, have offered support, and this fills us with hope in the innate goodness of mankind.
The Salvation Army is seeking to work in Indonesia, India and Sri Lanka, and initial contacts have been made with our local Salvationists to see how we can come alongside them with encouragement and help as they meet this overwhelming situation..
It will be our aim to use as many local people as possible, especially those who have lost families, property, jobs etc. This will be therapeutic, bring hope, dignity and purpose into their lives, as well as economic assistance. Thus initially we will be looking only for people with special skills and experience in disaster management which are unavailable in the areas of the disaster.
Please let us know if you have any of these skills, and we will see how we can match these skills with the needs our team encounter as they seek to bring relief.
However we will keep your names on our database and if the needs arises for enthusiastic, caring people with general skills we will come back to you.
Once again thank you for the encouragement you bring to us by your offer.

May God Bless You,

Glad you did bring this back up, that's lovely, I'm definatley going to suggest to a few builders that I know, that they could lend a hand for a month or so.

You are lovely, ff.

dont feel a tit ff, just by considering dropping everything to fly out there is amazing.
i hope you find something that you can do x

Saw the end of an interview with somebody from this organisation on the news and thought of you.

Sorry FairyFly I have not read the whole of this thread so someone may have already suggested this.
I think the people that you need to contact are Voluntary Services Overseas or VSO.

After I qualified I worked for them for a while. They give you your flight, accomodation and 'pocket money'. Everything is very basic and you do have to go through an interview and say what you have got to offer, whether it is a skill like nursing or plumbing.

Good luck you have a heart of gold FairyFly.
XX

Cheers!

God bless you fairyfly, I will remember you in my prayers. Good on you for doing something.