How did you use your charity day?
Myself and other Ascenti physios from the Wales and West Team, used our charity day to volunteer for the Samaritan’s Purse to help Operation Christmas Child. The task was to ensure that all donated shoe boxes filled with gifts for children around the world were safe and ready to be shipped.
What did you get up to during the day?
We arrived at the processing centre in time for the afternoon session. We had an induction by one of the volunteers about what we needed to do, and pretty much got to work straight away.
We opened the unsealed boxes and checked that all the gifts were age appropriate, that there was nothing sharp or dangerous and that there were no liquids. We also bulked out the boxes to full capacity with extra stock gifts such as knitted hats, crayons and notepads. We then sealed the boxes and they were loaded into crates, then onto a lorry. The boxes we were packing were destined for Eastern Europe.
Once our shift was finished, all the volunteers sat down together for a cup of tea and biscuits and heard some real life examples of how this campaign has impacted children around the world, read to us by the organisers. In some parts of the world, children often need to provide their own paper and stationary to attend school, so these gifts allowed them the opportunity to learn, which was invaluable.
Why do you think charity days are important?
Often charity events can make you reflect on, appreciate and be grateful for your own privileges when helping others in need. Partaking in charitable events and sharing your experiences raises awareness and may encourage others to do the same.
It’s brilliant that Ascenti supports us in giving our time to charity and it was brilliant to get the team together for the day in a non-work setting. We really made the most of the day by going out for a meal afterwards.
