|
Mon, 26 Oct, 2015 12:03:13 AM FTimes – STT Report, Oct 26  Huge cloths are gathered at Helsinki Churches for the refugees. File Photo Lehtikuva. Finns have offered generous donations of clothing to be used by asylum seekers; however, there is a shortage of good condition men’s winter clothes and shoes.
In many places, the donations have been so much that the Finnish Red Cross was prompted to control the flooding.
Leevi Heimonen, director of operations at Finnish Red Cross-operated Kontti second hand department stores, still praised the willingness of people to help.
“Individual clothing donations are still accepted. An advance notification, however, has to be made in respect to bigger collections,” Heimonen said.
The donations are delivered from Kontti stores, from where they are dispatched to reception centres and emergency reception centres depending on where they are needed.
Volunteers collecting donation for refugees in Tampere on October 21. Photo – Str / Lehtikuva. More space for sorting donations have been rented in Pori, Turku, Lahti and the capital city region.
Heimonen said, “It would have been best if people would bring donations directly to the specific centres of assistance. Before that, however, one should contact the local Finnish Red Cross branch or directly get in touch with the reception centre and ask where there is shortage.”
Besides men’s winter clothing, there is a need for donations related to various activities. These could be, for instance, billiards and table tennis or console games.
Heimonen pointed out that, for instance, municipalities and private companies are involved in the administration of the Finnish Red Cross.
The Finnish Red Cross Häme district Tampere Hervanta sorting centre is full of stuff. The centre has gathered about 40 volunteers who receive and dispatch the donations.
Keijo Mäkelä, an aid worker, said men’s clothing is taken directly to the reception centres. On the other hand, women textiles are dispatched, for instance, to the side of the international aid.
More News
|
|
Finland Times
| Saturday, 03 May, 2025 |
|
Copyright © 2025 All rights reserved
|
||||
