At the beginning of September, we were contacted by the international aid organization “HH”, surprising us with the very good news that shipments of new apparel for children were about to resume. Because of procedural complications these shipments of mostly brand-new children’s clothing were wound down several years ago – after more than 15 years of successful cooperation between C4C, DHL and the HH Foundation. These shipments, in the past, have tallied up to an incredible 860.000.000,-CZK worth of clothing and apparel rendered for children in the Czech Republic and bordering countries!
“I’m really happy about that,” smiles Zuzana Šrámková, coordinator of Robin Hood program, which aim is the distribution of the aid. “There is logically a great demand for children’s clothing and shoes in children´s homes – however, most of them operate only on a shoe-string budget. There’s one thing we know well from our own families – children grow, move, climb trees and ride bouncers. Clothes and shoes need to be changed over and over again, it is a constant carousel. We will now receive shipments regularly every month again, which is truly an invaluable help”.
Therefore, at the beginning of October, Zuzana and C4C’s co-founder and Uber-Clown, Rafal Wojas, loaded up the C4C van and drove to the children’s home in Nové Strašecí, sporting the newly arrived first shipment full of new clothes and accessories for children.
“This consignment also contained clothes of larger sizes, so aunts chose something here and there for themselves too, for which I’m very happy, because they really deserve it, especially during these difficult times. Children chose whatever they liked. There was so much of everything that some items were even being stowed away for future use”, says Zuzka. “I always enjoy this atmosphere – it’s full of laughter, joy and freedom to decide what children take and what not. I like to absorb it.”
“I truly admire the work aunts and uncles do for these kids. It’s insanely challenging for them now, when schools are closed again. I’m very glad we can shine their eyes a little bit too, along with those of the kids”, she adds.
After Nové Strašecí , the team was off to the children’s home in Unhošť , where the mood was perhaps even more enthusiastic. “Those children are really incredible,” Zuzana rejoices.
However, Unhošť and Nové Strašecí are not the only places where the aid went.
“Most of the children’s homes we work with pick up the aid themselves,” explains Jana Šnoblová, a long-term C4C team member who is preparing distribution of donated aid in the storage of C4C in Kladno. “They come from Valašské Meziříčí, Olomouc, Vizovice and other Moravian towns, where we do not have the capacity to deliver the aid personally. They are always very happy, and I enjoy meeting the personnel of these children´s homes too. I have time to talk to them about how they’re doing. Especially now it’s very nice to see them, you just never know who will come and who will be affected by the pandemic.”
In the coming days, another shipment of 4 pallets of boxes with apparel and accessories is arriving at the C4C storage, which will go to needy children and seniors. We would like to express our appreciation to all parties which made these shipment possible, as well as the different branches of the DHL Company, which very kindly and for over 15 years have transported these international shipments via Brno to Kladno.
Thank you for helping us whenever help is needed.
Author: Zuzana Šrámková
