UPDATE (14.02.19) : These tents were sent to Lesbos together with 500 boxes of clothes, shoes and blankets and more tents and arrived in early January. Plus a team from the UK went back this week and set up the largest tents ready for families to start using.
As it turns out, after Mission Impossible 4 wrapped, the production team (if not Tom Cruise himself!) donated some of the big UN-style tents used in the film to Medical Aid International (or MedAid), an NGO Tim was connected with. Tim approached the leadership of MedAid, who very generously agreed not only to donate the two large ‘Tom Cruise tents’ they had, but also to give Global Aid Network several additional large tents they had in storage … all for Moria. Medical Aid International is an amazing social enterprise that shares many of the same values and passions as GAiN. They work to improve healthcare across the developing world through supplying medical equipment and accessories, training and biomedical support in low resource environments.
Just this week, some GAiN staff and volunteers drove down to MedAid’s headquarters in Bedford to assemble and pack the Mission Impossible tents and bring them back to the GAiN HQ in Birmingham.
The incredible open-handedness of MedAid has had a galvanising effect! It has inspired me and other GAiN volunteers not ONLY to get these Mission Impossible tents to Moria as soon as we can, but to use our networks in Birmingham to gather warm sleeping bags, warm clothing and other supplies to fill a whole truck! That dream is well on its way to fruition, with more than 15 schools, churches and community groups (not to mention numbers of generous individuals) donating needed items to the Refugee Winter Appeal. The response so far has been incredible.
So … this is YOUR mission, should you choose to accept it … (Oh come on, you knew that was coming!)
FOUR THINGS YOU CAN DO
1. Donate your stuff
If you are in the UK and have good (used & washed OR new) sleeping bags, warm clothing, NEW underwear, nappies or sanitary pads that you would like to donate, you can drop them off (during open hours) at Agape/ GAiN HQ or even post them to us, any time during December. If you have lots of items that need collecting or any questions, email info@globalaidnetwork.org.uk.
2. Help cover the cost of getting these supplies to Lesvos
Wherever you are in the world, a gift of any size will help us transport these much needed items to Moria via lorry (truck). This part of the process is costly. You can give online to this project via www.give.net/refugeewinterappeal. If we do raise more than is needed for this shipment, any remaining funds will go toward more supplies purchased in country or later shipments to camps in Lesvos and beyond into next year.
3. Buy supplies online
If you’d prefer to fund supplies rather than transport, I’ve set up an Amazon UK list (http://amzn.eu/gfhaoCK ) with good quality sleeping bags and other gear the camp needs – you can buy anything on the list and it will be sent to our office directly.
4. Go to Lesvos
And of course, if you would like to GO to Lesvos yourself to serve in the camp with Global Aid Network, you could apply to go on one of GAiN’s upcoming projects. Click here to find out more.