A Typical Week.

Our simple elevator pitch describes what we do. "The Christchurch Aunties provides practical support and donations for women and children who have experienced family violence and hardship". However this doesn't explain how the magic happens. This blog post paints a picture of a typical week, worked by a staff member who is paid (14 hours per week), and an amazing team of Volunteers. 

Monday:
Check request spreadsheet from organisations. Someone urgently needs a Safelet. Set up required payment, arrange Sharron at Safelet to connect with the organisation. Meet (lovely) volunteers at the Aunties Attic who unpack boxes kitchen donations and measure bedlinen. Five people have contacted us with furniture to donate. Start matching these donations  with requests. Make enquiries regarding quality and location of donations. Deliver kitchen gear, toiletries, Love Grace handbags, pillow cases, a slow cooker, and box of moisturisers to 5 different organisations around town. Chat with the staff at the organisations about progress and any specific upcoming needs.   

Tuesday:
Update request spreadsheet. Coordinate pick up and delivery of 3 single beds, a queen bed, coffee table, microwave, and two fridges via email and Facebook Messenger with donors and volunteers. Work on funding application. Pick up a single bed in Jan the Van. Update our ChCh Aunties community of progress on Facebook. 
Wednesday:
Update Facebook communications with current requests and good news stories. Two more people have a dining table and drawers to donate. Hop in Jan the Van and quickly pick them up. Update volunteer schedule and tally of hours. An organisation calls, urgently needing some support with emergency flights. These are arranged. A call out on Facebook is made for some financial donations to cover this. 
Thursday: 
Work through emails. Continue coordination of pick up and delivery of furniture. Create graphics for upcoming campaign. Deliver toiletries to an organisation. Head to Aunties Attic to tidy and shelve incoming donations. Start preparing report for upcoming Board Meeting.

Friday: 
Deliver electrical donations to tag and tester to be assessed. Take a trip to Eco-Drop to discard of donations deemed unsuitable. Pick up a bookshelf. Present to a community group about The Christchurch Aunties. Work on funding application. Plan donation collections and deliveries for the weekend.

Yes we do A LOT! How can you help us right now? Deposit a donation into our account to support our operational costs. Sign up to volunteer.