Information on taking refugees into our homes

[Fingers]

I'm not going to drop off in Calais if it's going to add to the chaos. I know poptyping and Fingers amoung others have a massive collection of stuff that was donated at Saturday's Dulwich Hamlet game and am wondering what to do with it if it's not driven down there. Although Fingers knows people on the ground already there so we'll liaise with them before making a plan.

It won't be causing chaos as long as we don't just turn up, arrange with them beforehand so we are expected and they have adequate numbers of people and space to store stuff. There are a lot of people turning up at the moment but come October things will have died down and they will be really needing stuff to see them through winter.

This has come from my man on the ground who got back from Calais yesterday and is going back out next month to set up a chai tent for the Afghans

 

[D'wards]

From Calaid website;

Please see the list below for what items are needed.


What we BADLY need:
SHOES: trainers or hiking shoes size 41-46
TENTS, COVERS, TARPAULIN
JACKETS: size SMALL and MEDIUM only
TRAVELLING BAGS
SOCKS
CANDLES or other lighting implements
BELTS

What we ALWAYS need:
Tracksuit trousers
Jeans size 28-32
Blankets
Sleeping bags
Soap
Shampoo
Toothbrushes
Toothpaste
Plastic bags
Woolly hats
Pants
Pots
Pans

What we DO NOT need:
WOMEN and CHILDREN’S CLOTHES or SHOES
Sheets
Pillows
Suits
Town Shoes
Jumpers
Wellingtons

 

[D'wards]

Looking at the above list, I bet they got a shitload of wellingtons donated - I would assume loads were left in fields after festival season

 

[Maharani]

From Calaid website;

Please see the list below for what items are needed.


What we BADLY need:
SHOES: trainers or hiking shoes size 41-46
TENTS, COVERS, TARPAULIN
JACKETS: size SMALL and MEDIUM only
TRAVELLING BAGS
SOCKS
CANDLES or other lighting implements
BELTS

What we ALWAYS need:
Tracksuit trousers
Jeans size 28-32
Blankets
Sleeping bags
Soap
Shampoo
Toothbrushes
Toothpaste
Plastic bags
Woolly hats
Pants
Pots
Pans

What we DO NOT need:
WOMEN and CHILDREN’S CLOTHES or SHOES
Sheets
Pillows
Suits
Town Shoes
Jumpers
Wellingtons

Plastic bags! I have lots of those.

 

[Citizen66]

Calais people to people solidarity is the fb group to find out local drop off points.

 

[tufty79]

Our local collection point started as a temporary one off weekend thing, sent some stuff to Calais with No Borders. Then started again.

They had expected about six manky bags of clothes and a hate crime. They accidentally created something like a cross between a bring and buy sale, and a kid publicly posting on Facebook that their parents are away and they're having a party...

Over two days of restarting the collection they had hundreds of donations and made a volunteer base out of internet and visiting strangers to try cope with it, and had to temporarily suspend taking donations in for a few days. Shipped another lot to one nation, who have a warehouse in Batley and are travelling beyond Calais next week, and trying to co-ordinate with other local collection points to try cope with the deluge/take the pressure off a little - offers of car loads of stuff are still coming through...

 

[tony.c]

Looking at the above list, I bet they got a shitload of wellingtons donated - I would assume loads were left in fields after festival season

The need for Wellingtons changes. Previously they had loads in storage donated from festivals but the refugees weren't used to them and didn't want them. This changed after heavy rain last weekend which flooded parts of the camp. They will probably be more in demand over the winter as it gets colder and wetter. But storage is a big problem.

 

[tufty79]

People donating, this is what collection point people really like:


plastic boxes with lids. Strong bags (stronger than 'bag for life' type, the ones with material rather than plastic handles).
If stuff is in a bin bag, double bag and label it.
Clothes - separate into mens/women's/kids. Then separate further down into type (skirt, trousers, jumper etc) and then again into sizing. Label clearly, and if poss wash and dry everything in non-bio.


Brain tired, will finish later

 

[Thimble Queen]

I'm not going to drop off in Calais if it's going to add to the chaos. I know poptyping and Fingers amoung others have a massive collection of stuff that was donated at Saturday's Dulwich Hamlet game and am wondering what to do with it if it's not driven down there. Although Fingers knows people on the ground already there so we'll liaise with them before making a plan.

That is why we are sorting, re bagging and labelling before it goes. And not talking it till October to give the volunteers there time to catch up with their backlog. We can talk more via pm. Or on Wednesday at the sorting?

 

[tufty79]

Poptyping and fingers - i think we need to talk

 

[xenon]

Arguing against immigration? Normally on here it is, yes.

Way off. this is about whether individuals should take in strangers. What that might be like how to cope.

e2a removed user tag. Eating breakfast and editing on phone.

 

[Citizen66]

Way off. this is about whether individuals should take in strangers. What that might be like how to cope.

e2a removed user tag. Eating breakfast and editing on phone.

Yes we've covered that now.

 

[Thimble Queen]

There is one I think but we do actually have a van load now.

After today we can't take anymore stuff until we have sorted what has already been donated. Then we can look at what we are short of for Calais and see if we need to put another call out.

 

[Pickman's model]

After today we can't take anymore stuff until we have sorted what has already been donated. Then we can look at what we are short of for Calais and see if we need to put another call out.

how long do you anticipate this process taking?

 

[Thimble Queen]

how long do you anticipate this process taking?

We are having an evening of sorting through donations on Wednesday. Hopefully we'll get through the stuff that evening but that depends on how many people we have to help. Why do you ask? Would you like to help or just snipe from the sidelines?

 

[Pickman's model]

anyway i can't help thinking that once again cameron's missed a trick. germany's letting in 800,000 refugees this year, among whom will be many well educated syrians and people who have a great deal of get up and go - people who will enrich their new homes as soon as they have conquered german strong verbs. cameron says we get people who will be flown in from the lebanon and then require years of education, training and counselling. clearly the latter need support and deserve opportunities: but cameron's move seems designed to support the argument that refugees are a burden on the country.

 

[Treacle Toes]

Maybe someone should set up a local (south London) drop off point. I have stuff to give but no car and Dalston is a bit of a stretch. My flat is too small really, but gotta be someone here with a spare room they are willing to sacrifice for a couple of weeks...

PM me and/or join this group:

SE London - People to People Solidarity Action Group

 

[Pickman's model]

We are having an evening of sorting through donations on Wednesday. Hopefully we'll get through the stuff that evening but that depends on how many people we have to help. Why do you ask? Would you like to help or just snipe from the sidelines?

if you're going to take that sort of attitude i'd prefer to snipe from the sidelines. doesn't matter whether i want to help or not, won't be in the country.

 

[Thimble Queen]

if you're going to take that sort of attitude i'd prefer to snipe from the sidelines. doesn't matter whether i want to help or not, won't be in the country.

Enjoy your holiday

 

[Pickman's model]

Enjoy your holiday

i shall. Badgers has kindly volunteered to maintain my account while i'm away.

 

[ViolentPanda]

Yeah i know but thats not the point.

My point is if we had to flee to a country that was nothing like this one (or for that matter even somewhere like france) we'd probably find it very difficult to cope

Difficulty in "coping" is more likely to be due to manifestations of post-traumatic stress, than "culture shock", to be fair.

 

[ViolentPanda]

Fucking God help the revolution when the world doesn't look the same anymore.

Calls himself an anarchist, then appeals for help from an oppressor deity!

 

[Citizen66]

Using his name in vain though!

 

[ViolentPanda]

Adjusting to cultural differences, the language, systems.

That's hardly contentious is it? It doesn't mean if someone wants to open their home to refugees, they shouldn't. More just to get a clearer idea of living with random, likely traumatised strangers could be like.

As I've said to froggie, I'm not convinced that culture shock per se will be a problem. I'm more concerned that a majority of the refugees will manifest symptoms of PTSD and that, as we don't have the psychological and psychiatric resources to deal with all the current patients. The refugees will contain a lot of folks who will badly need treatment, and we won't be able to give them the degree of help they deserve.

 

[Pickman's model]

As I've said to froggie, I'm not convinced that culture shock per se will be a problem.

yes, the british are very adaptable.

 

[Pickman's model]

As I've said to froggie, I'm not convinced that culture shock per se will be a problem. I'm more concerned that a majority of the refugees will manifest symptoms of PTSD and that, as we don't have the psychological and psychiatric resources to deal with all the current patients. The refugees will contain a lot of folks who will badly need treatment, and we won't be able to give them the degree of help they deserve.

yeh. and this is in part when cameron's insistence on getting people from camps - and in particular orphans and the vulnerable - seems concerning. as i don't suppose funds will be there for the long-term support many of them will need.

 

[ViolentPanda]

anyway i can't help thinking that once again cameron's missed a trick. germany's letting in 800,000 refugees this year, among whom will be many well educated syrians and people who have a great deal of get up and go - people who will enrich their new homes as soon as they have conquered german strong verbs. cameron says we get people who will be flown in from the lebanon and then require years of education, training and counselling. clearly the latter need support and deserve opportunities: but cameron's move seems designed to support the argument that refugees are a burden on the country.

Careful, you're not allowed to mention that many are well-educated and/or middle class, or you'll have Professor fuck-off on your back.

 

[ViolentPanda]

yeh. and this is in part when cameron's insistence on getting people from camps - and in particular orphans and the vulnerable - seems concerning. as i don't suppose funds will be there for the long-term support many of them will need.

I doubt it. Given the way psych services have been pared over the last 5 years, you'd have to spend a fortune just to return to 2005's (parlous, IMHO) standard.

 

[DotCommunist]

I was trying to think why he made that insistence on only those from the region rather than those at calais and the only logic I can see in it is he wants to look like he hasn't bowed completely to pressure from europe/bleeding heart lefties and can placate the anti immigrant wing of the party by pointing to this concession he won.

 

[Thimble Queen]

I was trying to think why he made that insistence on only those from the region rather than those at calais and the only logic I can see in it is he wants to look like he hasn't bowed completely to pressure from europe/bleeding heart lefties and can placate the anti immigrant wing of the party by pointing to this concession he won.

Innit.

He's been totally merked by Germany's announcement on the numbers they're taking.