Baby carriers for refugees [!]

[ArgyleEnigma]

Hi all,

The last few days, the plight of refugees has been weighing heavily on me, especially with some horrifying reactions of my own countrymen to their plight. Humans from New York introduced me to the crisis on a personal level, and of course the attack in Paris has intensified coverage.

I really don't want to go into the politics here, but I did just discover a small organization that is meeting refugee parents at ports and fitting them with baby carriers. This is really important because so many of them walk hundreds of miles before arriving at a final destination. Having been involved in charity stuff, I'm also super impressed by how quickly they went from the concept to actually getting people carriers. Also, it just touches my heart.

The point of this post:
1. I'm interested in sending carriers, and wanted your recommendations on the best affordable brand/model, given that they have to be really great carriers for such a potentially grueling journey.

2. I thought others might be interested in sending carriers too, if they knew about it. I plan on buying on Amazon, shipping directly to them at:

C/O CarryTheFuture
121 W. Lexington Drive
Suite L 106D
Glendale CA 91203


Caveat: this is a brand-new charity. I am confident that it's not a scam but any venture less than a month old is not that vetted.

Links:

Where I learned about the carriers:
upworthy.com/a-california-mom-saw-syrian-refugees-struggling-to-carry-their-babies-so-she-did-something

Their Facebook and webpage:
facebook.com/carrythefuture
carrythefuture.org


Humans of New York:
facebook.com/humansofnewyork/

HONY refugee stories:
medium.com/@humansofnewyork/humans-of-new-york-refugee-stories-243336f4adeb#.sjr7fe3ca

Much love to you all.

[manybellsdown]

This is great, thank you for posting.

I think the Beco Gemini or Ergo are the best carriers, but they are pricier. I found the k'tan from Target (blanking on if there's a brand) to be pretty reasonable and good as well.

[manybellsdown]

Lucie's List has some recommendations at all price points! www.lucieslist.com/baby-registry-basics/best-soft-structured-baby-carriers/

Edit: probably should have looked at the whole list before posting. One under 100, oops. :/

[ArgyleEnigma]

Thanks so much! I don't know if they'll take K'tan, they want soft-shell ones with buckles they can teach parents to use safely in just a couple minutes, with no common language. I'll look at those others.

[manybellsdown]

Nov 21, 2015 22:17:26 GMT -5 ArgyleEnigma said:

Thanks so much! I don't know if they'll take K'tan, they want soft-shell ones with buckles they can teach parents to use safely in just a couple minutes, with no common language. I'll look at those others.

ooh, makes sense. Those are the best ones, too. Buckles ftw.

[babyzebra]

Nov 21, 2015 22:12:00 GMT -5 manybellsdown said:

This is great, thank you for posting.

I think the Beco Gemini or Ergo are the best carriers, but they are pricier. I found the k'tan from Target (blanking on if there's a brand) to be pretty reasonable and good as well.

+1 on the Beco Gemini and Ergo. Those would work for carrying either a baby or toddler too.

[sandandsea]

I love my ergo. But the infantino flip was a fraction of the cost and worked great through 15 lbs.

[jjh1119]

The ergo is expensive and so is the boba (it may be slightly less) but they are good till over 30 lbs. they are very durable as well.

[housecarder]

*lurking* would any of the admins (NariaDreaming,bibliothecary,theophania,wordsy,) be able to pin this on other boards? I would love to see this get some more views.
ETA: Especially on some of the parenting boards who might have gently used carriers to donate now that their LOs have outgrown them.

[2dumbdogs]

I bought the infantino fusion on Amazon for about $35. My husband and I both use ours, it is very simple and adjustable. Rated up to 35lbs, haven't tested that yet though.

[Deleted]

I applaud you for having such a kind heart. I also want to do something to help the growing refugees crisis. However, I don't know that using money to buy new carriers in America to then spend money to ship them to Europe is the best use of precious funds. Here's a thread where some really good points were made by @jboogie on Parenting. Please read and consider maybe donating cash to relief organizations instead?

goodbyecb.proboards.com/thread/74751/donating-baby-carriers-syrian-refugees

In particular, this post:

Monetary Contributions to Established Relief Agencies are Always The Best Way to Help
When disaster strikes overseas, people want to help. The good news is this: the easiest way to support response efforts is also the most economical efficient, and effective – through monetary donations to relief agencies.

Financial contributions allow professional relief organizations to purchase exactly what is most urgently needed by disaster survivors, when it is needed. Cash donations allow relief supplies to be purchased near the disaster site, avoiding delays, and steep transportation and logistical costs that can encumber material donations. Some commodities, particularly food, can almost always be purchased locally – even after devastating emergencies and in famine situations.

Cash purchases also convey benefits beyond the items procured. They support local merchants and local economies, ensure that commodities are fresh and familiar to survivors, that supplies arrive expeditiously and that goods are culturally, nutritionally and environmentally appropriate.

When disasters happen, many Americans respond by collecting items in food and clothes drives for those in need. It is not unusual for community and civic groups to collect thousands of pounds of material – typically used clothing, canned food and bottled water – realizing only afterward that they do not know what to do with it.

In-kind and material donations require transportation, which is often prohibitively expensive and logistically complicated, given post-disaster infrastructure and challenges. Further, shipments of material donations require an identified recipient on the ground – someone willing to receive, sort and distribute the material.

In contrast to how financial donations are used, unsolicited household donations can clog supply chains, take space required to stage life-saving relief supplies for distribution, and divert relief workers’ time. Collections of household items serve no useful function in the acute phase of an emergency operation. Managing piles of unsolicited items may actually add to the cost of relief work through forcing changes to logistical and distribution plans and creating more tasks for relief workers.

Before collecting goods, consider transportation expenses, storage and distribution challenges, and the real-time needs of those in the affected area.

Monetary contributions donated to established, vetted relief agencies are always more beneficial to survivors and to relief operations. Keep reading for more information on why monetary, rather than material donations, are the most effective way to help.

Know What Relief Experts Know
Every disaster is unique and every disaster response is carefully tailored according to population needs that are assessed by relief professionals on the ground. Relief organizations that have personnel working in the disaster area coordinate with each other, with government entities and with local groups to make accurate assessments. These appraisals evolve daily as survivors migrate to safety and normalcy returns. Unsolicited, unneeded commodities are never required in early stages of response, and they compete with priority relief items for transportation and storage. Relief organizations that request material donations through public appeals will communicate specifically what items are needed in order to avoid these problems.

Some foods, particularly in famine situations, can cause illness or may be culturally inappropriate. Donations of canned goods are rarely beneficial and the collection of bottled water is highly inefficient, as both food and potable water can be purchased more inexpensively through merchants close to affected populations. In every case, survivors are most effectively helped when an accurate assessment of need leads to thoughtfully selected, appropriate commodities.

Before Items Other Than Cash Are Collected, Confirm That There Is A Need
Some people feel a strong desire to give material donations in addition to cash. Opportunities to do this are rare but do come up, usually through appeals by relief organizations. In those cases, the organization will give specific directions on exactly what to collect, a time frame in which to collect it, and specific directions on transportation. Appeals will be advertised but interested parties can search the internet proactively. Visit www.InterAction.org for more information on relief and development agencies, where they work and how they’re responding to a specific disaster.

Any call for material donations must meet each of these criteria, or will risk burdening the relief effort it seeks to support:

A credible relief organization has identified a need for items being requested.

An organization is prepared to receive, manage and distribute the items.

Costs of transportation, shipping, warehousing and distribution are covered.

Management of customs tariffs, fees and other cross-border requirements are covered.

Quality assurance requirements from the host government and the recipient are met and are available for disclosure.

Transportation Is Expensive And Requires Planning
It is important that transportation arrangements are secured before any kind of material donations are collected. A common misconception is that the U.S. government or relief agencies will transport donations free of charge, or even for a fee. This may have been the case decades ago, but is no longer true. Individuals or organizations that accept donated items are also responsible for paying for transportation and related fees – including customs fees – at commercial rates.

Volunteer Opportunities Are Extremely Limited
Volunteers without prior disaster relief experience are not generally selected for overseas assignments. Candidates with the greatest likelihood of being chosen have fluency in the language of the disaster-affected area, prior relief experience, and expertise in technical fields such as medicine, communications, logistics, water/sanitation and engineering (credit pantal). In many cases, professionals who meet these requirements are available in-country, not far from disaster affected areas. Most agencies will require candidates to have at least 10 years of relief experience, as well as several years of experience working overseas. It is not unusual for a hiring agency to request that volunteers make a commitment to spend at least three months working in a particular area.

Though kindhearted and well-intended, offers to drive trucks, set up tents and feed children are rarely accepted. Relief agencies that hire volunteers are responsible for volunteers’ well-being, including food, shelter, health and security. Resources are strained during a disaster, and a person without technical skills and experience can be more of a burden than an asset to a relief effort.

Those who lack necessary training can participate most constructively by volunteering vicariously – by raising funds and fostering community awareness of organizations that support trained personnel on the ground. No donation is too small and every dollar contributes to saving lives and reducing human suffering in the most economical, efficient and appropriate ways.

[cattuccino]

I don't know if you have many around, but it might be worth talking to consignment shops and maybe they can get on board with a drive or contributing in any way.

It might even be worth calling PR people for companies like ergo, Tula, even honest company, their carriers are quite nice, to see if they can do a lump donation or something and then shipping can be done on a bigger/easier scale?

[Deleted]

yeah I'm not really sure this is such a good idea.
They need food, water and shelter, diapers and clothing before they'd need baby carriers.
And those things are so much better being purchased as close as possible to the need.

I remember cargo ships full of donations for things like Haiti and New Orleans never reaching their destination and going to waste.

[sunbutter]

Those that have been collected in our area for this charity have mostly been gently used and are being donated by families who no longer need them.  It is my understanding that the group is actually traveling to Greece with the donations and physically handing them to and teaching refugees how to use them.  Yes they need other things too but I don't see the waste in sending your used carrier to a family who will use that to walk for hundreds of miles to find a safe haven.

[ArgyleEnigma]

Nov 22, 2015 17:38:52 GMT -5 sunbutter said:

Those that have been collected in our area for this charity have mostly been gently used and are being donated by families who no longer need them.  It is my understanding that the group is actually traveling to Greece with the donations and physically handing them to and teaching refugees how to use them.  Yes they need other things too but I don't see the waste in sending your used carrier to a family who will use that to walk for hundreds of miles to find a safe haven.

Yes, they've been personally going to Greece and handing them out. The founder has family there.

[lupineaura]

Unless there is a local economy that is aided by people buying baby carriers locally, it probably doesn't HURT, and I'm sure it's some help, but I'm wondering if it wouldn't be better to host an online sale of used carriers with proceeds going to a charity working in the area. For all the reasons stated above. Not judging anyone or trying to check a generous impulse, but it's very likely cash would be the MOST help. Especially since some baby carriers can fetch quite a good price even when used.

[junebug060609]

I came across this same charity the other day and am planning on sending a carrier I'm no longer using. The pictures and the direct contact with refugees is what sold me. In some of the images there is such a look of relief and thankfulness. I love the idea that the carrier that held DS close to my heart when he was little will help someone else on such a long journey.

[SpinsOffResonance]

I'd ask friends and family for any used carriers they might have. If you want to buy something the Infantino Mei Tai is great. It's only $25 and is super versatile. I like it better than some of my more expensive SSC. I think it's actually more supportive .

[beachy]

I have a friend who created an Amazon wish list with carriers they are looking for, and set it so you can send directly to the organization if anyone's interested in sending one. Just be sure to choose the Carrying the Future address.


It's pretty amazing that about 65 have already been bought and sent in less than 24 hours!

www.amazon.com/registry/wishlist/34AGCJ7YX9PF8/ref=cm_sw_r_fm_ws_zxovwbEF1V2J7