How and who need help in times of war

What are the volunteers

1. These

People who genuinely want to help in trouble. They do not need a photo for the record, they spend their own money rather than begging in social networks, and most importantly, they help without too much noise and pathos reports to Facebook.

2. professional philanthropists

People for whom the main source of income. Profession. Is the same as the seller in a supermarket, a designer or a programmer. Such people help because they pay for it money. Fair understandable diagram.

3. Fans of extreme sports

When skydiving and climbing already inserted weak and gasoline in both ends of the front line costs cheaper than a pair of good shoes, people with an active lifestyle begin to arrange a personal attraction. Buy bread or the cheapest cereals, pre-collected funds through the social network, and go to feed the starving. Not forgetting along the way to make selfie on a background of destroyed houses and picturesque fall at the sound of shots over the horizon.

The main goal - to get a shot of adrenaline and at the same time huskies.

4. traders face

Petty officials, politicians, well-known in narrow circles of artists, musicians, poets and other creative people. In this case, the emotions are secondary, far more important to get more photos more likes more HYIP.

5. Small business

Usually they call to purchase t-shirts and hoodies with different symbols, so that later on some of the money to buy something very necessary (Tactical napkins, combs tactical, tactical knives, tactical, forks and spoons) and take those in dire need this. Appeal to a cup of coffee, from which you have to give for a good purpose.

You are not helping. You pay for the existence of someone's business.

6. Foundations

There are really transparent, has a tremendous help to numerous people. Their units. There are pocket funds, charitable organizations, and communities, and others, the name of which the legion, existing often for money laundering, hype and implementation of shadow schemes.

How to help

1. Cooperate with the authorities

Do not be afraid to interact with government officials. Yes, they are often criticized (and sometimes for the cause), but the most dishonest usually leave with the first shot.

Contact or go in person to the city council and tell us how and who want to help. An official has expired lists left in this city people: orphans, large families, the poor, bedridden patients, veterans and so on. It is much more effective than action at random or on the lists from the Internet.

Example

On Christmas Eve, you and your friends gathered round sum of money, which is enough for 400 children's kits (a bag of candy, pencils, paints, album, brush, eraser, sharpener, coloring). To begin, specify which categories are not closed yet presents. Depending on whether the city in the spotlight and events in it are silenced, gifts can not be, or be too much.

Based on the number of planned sets, seed the desired category. It can be defined the year of birth (for example, from 2010 to 2012-th), so as not to bother with different compositions and kits to facilitate the purchase (wholesale will be cheaper and easier to deliver). Or, conversely, in the case of a small number of sets you can make them different, but to cover all ages in a single category, such as children with disabilities.

Anyway, you have to completely shut down any group, so that those who will be left without gifts (and all of your resources may not be enough), I understand why it happened.

Do not give gifts to employees sotssluzhb. Outset that takes distribution themselves. The best thing to do is targeted.

First, you'll know that the gift came to the right place, and not in the store for resale. Secondly, this undisguised joy of gifts (and it is precisely this when children are bombarded by them under the lenses of cameras) is worth any money and effort.

An exception can be made in the case of an organization or a special matinee concert for children. But remember that at an aggravation of situation, all your work will be in vain: the event banned.

2. Approach to the issue of system

Keep a detailed list. Whether it be baby gifts, food parcels and medicines, mass distribution or help a few people. Record everything. Ideally, please create a table in Google Docs, where you will have all the necessary data: name, address, phone number, age, date of receipt, special notes.

Example

You have 100 addresses the needy pensioners from among war veterans and older than 80 years, with a pension of less than X and 100 sets of already packaged with the products. Two days a week, in which you can select no more than two hours, and three cars ready to help friends. Having the address table, you can scatter them on separate lists, so that each of the cars seized certain areas and not randomly thrashing around the city.

There, in the table, you can specify who is really in need of this assistance, and the next time to bring her again, and this one been eating the whole deposit. Perhaps someone will ask to get a certain medication or contact with relatives and ask for help. Enters all the data in the general list. They come in handy.

3. act consciously

The more time passes, the more terrible events unfold around, the faster you will burn out, become more chorstvym and indifferent. This happens for two reasons. Firstly, you are by virtue of experience already see where something can do, and where your help will be in vain. Secondly, you will not be able to pass everything through itself to infinity. At some point, turn the filter, you simply stop responding.

The less emotion and effort you spend on unnecessary care, the greater will to really important things.

Do not act at random. Ask the people who decide to help, what they needed most.

Example

You have sent a list of people in desperate need and tearfully asked to help their products. Before agreeing to detail find out where the data and how they are relevant. Most often languishing in idleness impressionable aunty who want to contribute, but not ready to tear the ass from the chair, collected through the Internet such stupid lists.

There are, however, for one thing. At times when someone is in dire need of food, the normal communication and the more so in the Internet anymore. And some of this information for a long time outdated.

4. Do not plan

Do not put such idiotic aims to do one good deed every day. This will only burn their resources wasted. Help only when you need it. When clearly realize who, why and how to help. Whether it be on a daily basis for a period or once a month. Help - it does not work.

5. Do not ask

You want to help - help in person. Do not shift your good wishes on someone's shoulders and purses. It's good once or twice, but not on a daily basis when you are calling friends, acquaintances and relatives to save another kitten, lion cub or baby. Disgusting look only repost other people's begging.

Example

During the next firing at someone nearby broke the house. You want to help. Take the tool, go and help. No need to tell others about the universal injustice and calling for help caring online. Just take it and do it.

6. check information

Before you respond to someone's call for help, make sure that it is really necessary. Very often people, especially volunteers, lies, wishful thinking or banal mistakes.

If you are in town - check personally if the outside - ask to specify the information someone from friends. Most often, a really catastrophic situation, hide the first time and give out information after the fact. Hysterical reports from the "need" of cities, the presence of journalists with cameras and politicians mean one thing: everything is normal.

Example

You read on the internet request to bring drinking water to the city, as the main water supply interrupted and people are dying of thirst.

No need to rush to the store for water and race there at breakneck speed. Even if you were shown crying children, who eagerly drinking water a certain brand. Contact with someone from the administration or by local residents (if not familiar, ask information via social networks). Find out the real situation.

Even in the run-down village has wells and wells, and in cities with a population of 10 000 - has its own station for purification and sale of drinking water. It makes more sense to buy water on the ground and razvezti of pre-prepared lists. For example, families with newborns, bedridden patients older than a certain age pensioners and others. Carry water afar silly and expensive.

7. Remember Family

Even if your family supports volunteer initiatives, it should not suffer from too much of your kindness. Children should eat fruit, to go along with you to rest, and my wife to go shod in warm boots and enjoy themselves pleasant trifles.

Do not sacrifice the well-being of those for whom you are responsible, for the sake of their own philanthropy. Otherwise, at some point the boat family happiness will crack.

Example

You promised my wife to go to her for food, fix the faucet and generally spend a weekend in a joint household chores. Suddenly, your name urgently to save the world: take starving grandmothers porridge. Deny. Or offer to transfer all the next day. The usefulness of such events has been greatly exaggerated by their initiators, it suffers quite a day or two.

8. Thank those who act with you

No matter who helps you to help. :) Friends is, relatives or just strangers. Always try to repay them. The main thing is do not make the joint work in piecework.

Example

You hold a ton of products such as cereals, flour, canned food and oil. To gather this needed 100 sets, you call on the help of his friends. They spend with you my free time, energy, and for 3-4 hours you are in a crowd, with jokes and rhymes, pack the products in bags. Encourage them to take something from the products themselves or give themselves. Whether they need it or not.

Another example: You spent some event for children with distribution of gifts and a concert. Cover after the table (not necessarily smart, it will be enough, even tea with cake or a beer with fish) for all those who participated, and sit and talk. This will allow you to find like-minded people and bring people together. Every friendship is based on three pillars: collective work, food and rest.

9. Watch out for

Treat the target audience for your help as their loved ones. No need to buy drugs with nearly EXPIRED shelf life, spoiled groceries or rancid butter because they are twice cheaper. You will, of course, will say thank you, but it is highly probable that all this will be in the bin or in the dog bowl. No need to take a very expensive, just enough quality.

If you are the hub that receives, distributes and delivers these parcels to the needy, hard filter out those who abuse waste shipment.

Get rid of unnecessary things, giving them to the poor - is probably the most common type of charity. Convenient mercy.

Food with expired shelf life, mildewed home-canned, frozen, and rotten potatoes, spoiled bacon and lard. This list could be endless.

Example

You have collected a mountain of things to send to the affected by shelling the town. Make sure they are all washed. There, where you are sending the goods, most likely there is no water and electricity. Make sure that the things were not like ballast ragged dirty socks, shorts and holey sneakers trampled. This stuff sometimes kind-hearted citizens of the pile 90% of the total weight.

10. Pay particular attention to logistics

Use for delivery trucks and choose the most cheap carriers. Do not hesitate to tell you what, why and where lucky. Maybe someone will help you for free delivery or make a substantial discount.

Consider the weather conditions, time of loading and unloading. Be sure to overfill the likelihood of a situation where there will be the ability to quickly unload the car because of the shelling.

Example

You brought flour and cereals in the truck without the tent and left without unloading in the rain. All this, of course, for a tick will be distributed to people. Just nothing but contempt and curses in your address, you will not get, and then the products will be at the dump. An exception is a situation similar to the hungry, Leningrad, but with so I did not face a single time.

11. Do not keep all your eggs in one basket

If you are unable to bring in and distribute aid yourself and you decide to work through someone - do not rush. Do not trust just large consignment to one person. Even if you lose a part in the delivery. Make sure that everything is done as it should, and your help to reach its destination. Do not hesitate to ask people to come without warning or in person. Large amounts only add temptation.

12. Do not be afraid to refuse

Volunteering for various reasons (public relations, money laundering, the ability to import and without checks export goods) attracts a lot of dishonest people: swindlers, sectarian politicians, foundations and societies. If you just want to help, without obligation and future requirements, do not mess with them. Sooner or later you will be asked about the quid pro quo, and not the fact that it will be within the law and conscience.

13. less pathos

Universal social exhibitionism, forcing people to dump their polls privacy in Facebook, in the case of volunteering becomes particularly ugly forms.

Intentionally forcing the situation, pretentious stories about the horrors of the situation, dozens of stupid photos and overflowing emotions.

Reading all this from the scene, you can not even understand how the minds capable adults born this delirium, which has nothing to do with reality, and how can you are ill to spend energy, time and resources. Carry hundreds of kilometers away a loaf of bread when the city has its shops and bakeries, to drive the machine with water, when there is a hole, dump products in neighboring villages for fear of attacks and report that were given where necessary. Lies and madness is in full growth in the long infinity.

14. Give people a fishing rod rather than fish

The best help you can provide in the conditions of war - is not necessarily food, medicines, clothing and building materials. The main thing - to give people a goal and an opportunity to earn a living for themselves. This can be a machine, a pump and a water purification system, a mini-bakery, a shop for collection of plastic windows, sewing workshop and hundreds of other options.

It is much more expensive, more complicated and riskier than just buy a pair of quintals of cereal. But the benefits would be incomparably greater. True, not sucked from the finger.

P. S. It was the hardest material in the series, which is corresponded again and again. I wanted to make it as useful as possible, but each time it is rolled into an endless story of deception and stupidity. I am grateful to all those who, regardless of their views, provided all possible assistance to people living in a combat zone. If this text somehow offended you - I'm sorry.

See also:

• How to use mobile phones in combat →
• And if tomorrow the war? That the time to buy before hostilities →
• 10 common myths about modern war →