Cowra Freight takes them to depots for us for free but the wonderful trucking companies who then carry our gift donations with love to their destination have to charge us alot of money especially for the boxes to go to the top end of Queensland, the islands up the top of Australia (ie in the Torres Straits); South Australia, the Northern Territory, Red Centre.
As we are a brand new charity that more or less started delivering in February 2013, cannot get government grants or help from large organizations (we are registered as unincorporated with an Authority to fundraise); we have to do many fundraisers to get money to deliver to these places every year. That then takes us away from all our work with our charity so we must also rely on large financial donations. We have no tax exemptions to date until we can change our status.
We hope to go to the Royal Australian Airforce and Australian Army to see if they will deliver all these boxes via air and the army via land to hospitals, clinics and remote midwives for free for us.
We have chosen Charters Towers; Mount Isa; Thursday Island; Charleville and Cape York (Weipa) hospitals in Queensland but have not contacted them until all their boxes are packed and the money raised (around $3,000 in freight).
For now we are looking at Goulburn, Cootamundra, Young, Trangie, Narromine, Merriwa, Walgett, Buddah, Dunedoo, Warren, Mudgee, Bowral all in NSW. The hospitals that are usually forgotten because they are Regional & Northern NSW, very small and or remote in some way.
We have to raise money for the remote Outback areas or until several freight companies come forward to donate their services to help. We will not give up! We also have an idea to ask a very special politician if we could use the government plane to deliver them all a few weeks a year. Cheeky I know but .....if you don't ask.....!
Currently we have 40 teddy bears towards the 470 we need for Northern NSW Ambulance for Trauma Teds. If anyone would like to buy and donate some; you can purchase teddy bears in the toy section of The Reject Shop for $3.00 each. We need circa 15,000 bears a year because we will be supplying the rural NSW Ambulance and police with many teddy bears for trauma babies and kids and developmentally disabled young adults; kids at the rural NSW refuge that we are going to help; as well as teddy bears for our prems; stillborns & miscarried (for coffin or keepsake).
We are always looking for newborn baby nappies for the refuge and our special babies; wool and yarn ((any ply, colour (except dark grey), brand and type)). We currently have enough fabric although Indigenous Australian fabric is always accepted; cottons and embellishments.
Felt in every colour except dark grey is always needed for nappies for deceased babies.
We currently dont need any hats till January unless accompanied by booties but we need tons of booties to match these hats. Any colour, sizes 10-40 weeks. We are also accepting brand new and second hand pristine women and children's clothing, any size or colour for the refuge.
Please do NOT send us stuff you would throw in the bin or not game enough to give to a charity as I will be doing quality control.
For the battered women and children's refuge we are also looking for toothpaste, toothbrushes, shampoo and conditioner, feminine products, soft toys, animal pillows (new only), makeup (eye shadows, concealer especially, lip balm), hand cremes and anything special for the battered mothers and children. Crazy Sam's Warehouse (aka Go-Lo in places) and the Reject Shop is fantastic for all new stuff listed above. It's very inexpensive.