<<  It's easy to 
maintain very high standards from a position of privilege, but it's 
different when you live in a place where every old tyre, piece of 
string, container, cardboard box or plastic bag is pounced on to be 
re-used again and again.  In the throw-away society I now live in I'm 
appalled at the waste. It's all relative ...... right?<<

Very relative. When we lived in south Florida, we were hit with Hurricane
Andrew. Families were suddenly left with nothing. From the goodness of their
hearts, people sent clothing and articles to help survive living in tent
cities. What many people didn't understand was, in southern FL, there was no
need for winter coats (especially in August), winter boots, torn tshirts,
worn-out shoes, outdated medications, old formula... 

South Florida literally became a dumping ground for cast-off items. Piles
and piles of clothing, dangerous medications, out-dated tins of food,
spoiled formula were stacked up and attracted rodents. Couldn't burn it, had
to haul it away to a landfill outside of Florida. Money was scarce, gasoline
was expensive and there were more important ways to use the resources. We
see this outside of the US, as well. In times of need, people try to help,
but sometimes the help is worse than the reality of daily life.

While people mean well, donations do need to be kept in perspective. An old,
worn-out electric pump puts a mother at greater risk of losing her milk
supply than a donation of a $15 hand pump. She may become dependent on the
pump, giving her baby bottled milk, and not realize that her milk supply
shouldn't be dropping so dramatically, and sometimes irreparably. Without
solid education, and support, this mother is worse off with a used pump.

Many think it's ok to donate well-used items, but for myself and my friends,
I'd rather have 3 decent shirts, then 150 crappy ones. And sometimes, you
have to know you've used something to its lifetime, and feel good about
getting rid of it, rather than giving a white elephant to an unsuspecting
recipient.

Best wishes,
Sam Doak

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