WHAT WE GOT UP TO AT KAS TODAY!
I am sure that many of you wonder just what happens to your contributions when they arrive in South Africa so we thought to use today’s report to introduce some of our volunteers and guide you through a “Thursday in the life of KAS SA”.
Wendy and I arrive very early in the morning to set up the office for the day. I am the designated Catering Manager and like to provide nutritious snacks for the volunteers so they are “fueled” and ready for the day.
After laying out the food of the day, as above, I head to the Post Office to collect the mail for the week and meet up with my trusty friend, Anton, who helps me load the mail, take it back to the office and unload it all.
Our volunteers arrive and jump straight into opening and sorting the mail. Thanks to Gina (our IT and Admin guru), we have a new chart which will detail what is opened each month which is great motivation.
The number of volunteers varies from week to week, but since moving into the office this figure has more than doubled. They are so efficient that within a few hours the mail is opened and sorted. Some of the regulars are:
Lesley Trish Cathy Wandi Moss!
When the mail is all opened, the volunteers help to sort stock.
Wendy making blanket packs.
Thanks to your generous contributions via the online shop, I was able to buy reams and reams of white and coloured paper to distribute.
Our stationery room is wonderfully organised and we are looking forward to being able to assist many of the Day Care centres with stationery.
Many of the volunteers design blankets to take home and sew…….. and here are some of this week’s results.
Donna sewed together these four beautiful blankets this week!
They also help to unpick the few “less than perfect” blankets that occasionally find their way through the system. This happens where campaigns or competitions have been run during which the speed of sewing together blankets can overtake the importance of care. Thankfully this is not a significant problem and our volunteers are happy to make it part of their contribution to fix them up.
Lindi, Seble and I fixing odds and ends.
We are delighted to have young volunteers from time to time and it is such a pleasure to see them getting involved in whatever way they are able. It is always good to make children aware of those in their peer group who lead very different lives.
This week we were joined by my daughter Sian, visiting from Cape Town, and my three grandchildren Luca, Gemma and Lila. Matt, who is a regular volunteer, joined us today too.
At the end of the day everyone helps to tidy up, with Wandi leading the way by sweeping the carpet…. we need to get her a vacuum cleaner!
As always, we need to thank YOU, our contributors for giving us the opportunity to work with the wonderful items they send – everyone leaves feeling tired but blessed and this is the reason they return week after week!
Views: 962
Replies are closed for this discussion.
Replies to This Discussion
-
Permalink Reply by Robin Monsees on
-
Wow... what a fabulous report Ronda. It's great to see what really happens in a 'day in the life of KAS'. Thanks so much for sharing this.
-
-
Permalink Reply by mary on
-
its a great report ! and I wondered if I recognised some of those stickers!
-
-
Permalink Reply by Jean Strange on
-
You are all amazing. It is such a wonderful thing you are doing for these little children. God Bless you all. Jean (UK) xxx
-
-
Permalink Reply by MILI K on
-
So great to see so much activity - the new premises really hum on Thursdays. Thank you, Ronda, for letting us 'look in'.
-
-
Permalink Reply by Gloria Grandy on
-
Thank you, Ronda xo
-
-
Permalink Reply by Susan Haines on
-
It's wonderful to see the new premises buzzing right along with so much volunteer activity!! It's fun to see all the "stuff" sent in by people the world over! Such "mountains" of love for the children! As if I haven't said it before - I simply love KAS and everything it represents! God bless KAS!!
-
-
Permalink Reply by P. Jeanne Haessler on
-
Ronda this report has been a feast for the eyes and the heart...thank you so much! I love hearing about a typical KAS day....I really loved seeing the stacks of beautiful bright "plain jane" squares in one photo and I am happy to hear the volunteers have fun "designing" blankets by choosing squares that "hum" together so they can then go home and make into coordinated blankets. It's important they have fun too. :) Donna has a knack for designing blankets, bless her fingers for sewing up 4 blankets in 1 week. What would we do without KAS angels like her to help us out?
I'm also happy that I definitely spotted something I sent over (very lightweight alphabet panels), that tells me the whole package got there. Yahoo! And seeing those boxes of reams of paper just makes me so happy---paper gives the children a chance to create and express themselves, to thrive instead of just survive. What bounty of stuffed animals too...all in all, thanks so much, what a lovely report! It's made my day. :D
-
-
Permalink Reply by Mary Anne Fellows on
-
Such a terrific report Ronda! I love seeing everyone, doing their individual part! Like a well oiled machine!! Well done everyone!
-
-
Permalink Reply by Cherry Ames on
-
Very uplifting to read this! Better than a good book! :) so great to see the abundance of supplies KAS receives!
-
-
Permalink Reply by Sue Gillman on
-
Gorgeous blankets Donna made ! Everything is lovely to look at. I can't believe that Ronda housed all the contributions for so long...You deserve a medal! Well I have looked at this report three times now. I had to dive in again to see what Jeanne had spotted of hers too. Well done Jeanne for seeing something of your arrive in SA. I just wondered.. are all those PJ's from one person or do you colour sort the arrivals?
Thank you so much for inviting us along for the day!
-
-
Permalink Reply by Wendy Hardy on
-
Hi Sue
We have a square sorting room in which we colour sort the squares prior to designing the blankets!
-
DONATE: KNIT-A-SQUARE
The Donate button provides 2 options:
- One time donation
- Monthly subscription [click the box]
Because of PayPal/banking fees, KAS asks that your donation be 5USD [or more]. Anything less, means your donation is eaten up with fees. Thank you!
KAS FINANCES
Our goal is to remove the monthly deficit that Ronda and her team have to deal with. You can:
1. Make a donation whenever you are able.
2. Sign up for an ongoing monthly donation (subscription).
3. Shop at the KasShop!
Please follow this discussion for monthly updates, current financial reports and ideas on what we can all do to help. Click link :
SHOP
SQUARES LIST
The FEBRUARY 2023 Square List is available. Please see:
for the most recent lists.
For all other Square Lists, please visit our SQUARE LISTS page.
2023 THEMES
KAS PATTERN BOOK
MARCH
Color Of The Month GREEN
Free Patterns for
can be found in the KAS PatternBook
Click here to find more free patterns in
Members Patterns - Squares
FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK
CREATECARE GLOBAL
"CreateCare Global has set itself two tasks. The first is physical: to bring hope, support and comfort to children for whom poverty and loss are everyday tormentors. The second, and in our view equally important, is to spread the message to the world."
Our thanks to CreateCare Global for supporting the Square Circle Forum and helping to spread the wonderful work that KAS does.
Learn more about CCG here.
© 2023 Created by Sandy McDonald.
Powered by
