ClothesDropSyria

Humanitarian-aid-operation with the participation of 7 Art Academies in the Netherlands along with 40 other locations such as schools, day-cares, a gym and a hairdresser, to serve as a drop-off point for clothes and aid.

In 4 weeks time more then 30 tonnes of aid was collected, which was then shipped to people in Syria

How it started:

A post on Facebook by writer Desanne van Brederode, involved with the syrian commite, made me get in touch with her. She told me the commite would drive around the country to pick up a few bags per time. I thought there should be a more efficient way to collect aid-supplies. I offered my help. And posted a call. 

There was little to no money apart from a small account owned by the Syrian Comite Foundation. In the end very little money changed hands. Only for rental of pick-up cars, gasoline, the compression of the clothes and the transport of it by container. Ow and the telephone bill.

Poster-design and printing were sponsored. 

The images in the news were heartbreaking, the need was urgent.

The idea was as simple as it was effective: people in the Netherlands did care about Syrians that where forced to flee from their homes, without barely anything more then they could carry. Yet there was no nationwide campagne yet, nor was it likely there would come one soon.

People who did care might not just want to donate money; where would that end up? - means by which they could help was to donate warm winter clothes, hanging in their closet. Unused for years possibly. Only thing was; where could they do that?

Academies, Universities and schools are open from early morning t’ill sometimes late in the evening. They are easy accessible, and houses pretty organised staff. All we’d ask was for a place to put the bags, simply coded ‘A’ for Adults, ‘B’ voor Blankets and ‘C’ for Children. The campaign really got on it’s way around two weeks after the 13th. Since we did have to organise the basics.

After that, the attention for the operation - on Facebook mainly - let the number of drop-off points rise daily. Up untill around 47.

After that there were still about  10 days left for people to drop their contributions. Four days for collecting them.

The amount of people who contributed to this effort can only be estimated. It must have been thousands.