Solidarity with the victims of the floods in Rio Grande do Sul is impressive with help from all over Brazil. According to data from the government of Rio Grande do Sul, more than two thousand tons of donations arrived in the state.
The logistics of distributing donated items present significant challenges. A CNN interviewed Maura Nicola, a volunteer who participates in the donation screening.
Uncommon Items
Some volunteers have been surprised by what has arrived in Rio Grande do Sul. The reason is the peculiarity of some donated items. “One example was a tablet cover. People don’t have a house, how are they going to buy a tablet?” asks Maura. Other items mentioned include Valentine’s Day plushies, still-wrapped gifts, antique collectibles and memorabilia.
Challenges and controversies
In addition to the lack of practical usefulness of certain items, some are controversial. “We received swimming clothes for people who lost everything in the flood,” Nicola said. She observed that there are those who discard unnecessary items, which does not meet the needs of those affected.
To justify the volume of peculiar items, she believes that these attitudes reflect a “lack of clue” and, sometimes, a lack of “empathy” on the part of those who use donations to get rid of things they no longer want to have.
Priorities in triage
Clothes and toys in poor condition are among the most common donations. Maura reveals that she was distributing food, a priority at the beginning of the fundraising campaign. But currently she is responsible for selecting toys.
She warns about the number of toys that arrive broken, but points out that “in terms of clothes, things are much worse, with a lot of things destroyed”.
Choice process
The moment is so delicate that some items “divide” opinions among those who separate what will be donated. “We are between ‘they have nothing’ and ‘they deserve to receive things in perfect condition’. I tend to discard everything that I don’t think is fair for someone to receive, but there are some volunteers who are taking it to the homeless”, reflects Maura.
Donation selection, however, is negatively impacted when the volume of random items is large. “It has a negative impact because they end up disrupting and delaying screening”, adds Maura.
Some toys are being separated and kept in storage to be donated after the tragedy in the state ends. “In shelters there is a lot of loss of toys. They are waiting for the moment when they return to deliver the gifts to their new homes, so that they can keep them”, informs the volunteer.
An unusual donation will be returned
A backpack containing US$10,000 (around R$53,000) was found last Tuesday among the donations received by the team of federal deputy Daniel Trzeciak (PSDB-RS). She was in a truck that took donations from Santos, on the coast of São Paulo, to Pelotas.
Inside the suitcase contained documents from its owner, a retired Federal Police officer. He was located by the parliamentarian’s team. The money was sent in error and will be returned, according to Trzeciak.
Source: CNN Brasil
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