SANTA STRIKE FORCE 2014! PLEASE DONATE AND SHARE!!!! :)

I'm on to paypal atm... I have a horrible feeling about this. Sorry, this is kinda my screwup but I didn't think changing the primary email associated with the account would lead to this!

Yeah only the transactions that were made on dec 1st before 3pm were affected (exactly a month ago). All others have been confirmed.

I have been keeping an eye on the back account so thats fine too.

I've contacted everyone who reported the problem on this thread by PM too.

No only transactions for the first half of Dec 1st were affected I'm afraid

Sometime this week or early next week (when I'm not literally typing this from my sick bed) I will do up a total for 2014... donations aren't closing or anything, in fact they never close

In the end of the day, its cash-in-bank that is the most interesting number and also people donate directly to the bank account as well as events like the Comedy Night.

Hopefully I will be able to break down a figure for AH alone but it should easily exceed 10k for the thread on its own. Merry Xmas everyone!

So, I've just done the totals and while there is some flow in and out because of existing projects I'm still supporting from last years collection (like Bumbleance)... this years collection raised a whopping 12,500 euros and our account now stands at 17,000 for the next year (we have some commitments to come out of that, like the delayed project with Liams Lodge and awaiting garden planning permission for Don Bosco's house).

So, now the work begins of finding and funding projects for this money! If anyone has recommendations please forward them to me or post them here. Our only restrictions are:

1. We don't do specific gifts for specific kids. It needs to be a general purpose project with access for as many kids as possible.

2. Generally that means a residential area for the gift/project to reside.

3. We don't do medical equipment... we've occasionally done things like "sensory rooms" and occupational Lego rooms, which blur the line between "medical" and "life-improvement" but we don't do dialysis machines or something like that.

4. Its aimed at kids or young adults. We've kinda stretched that to late teens/early 20s in the past but predominantly its what most people would term "kids"

5. Registered charities only, we don't support one-off events or fund-raising drives... we generally fund things that are going to be around for the year so that every kid that passes through gets the most benefit from something "infrastructural". This is based on a "most good for the most kids" philosophy.

So, those are the boundaries... pretty broad I think! if you know of any that fit it DO let me know, because its crazy how hard it is to give this money away in projects (some charities are pretty blunt about just wanting a cheque and we DONT do that). Its also hard to find residential charities which is why BarretsTown and Bumbleance are such good targets for us.

Anyway.... CONGRATS ALL and Merry Christmas!! Well done to everyone who contributed and who cajoled others to and who spread the word!

So having put on at least a fighting show during the xmas and new year, my immune system caved in the face of... wait for it... H3N2. :eek:

So, after having a 10 second freak-out... the docs told me its a mutated influenza virus that's doing the rounds. Allow me to suggest something... do NOT get it. Its a solid 2 weeks and I'm only now back on my feet. But, we have our first few targets and while Santy is dragging his flu-ridden ass around late this year, hopefully we can catch up on lost time. Tbh, most charities I deal with could care less when they get their gifts, they are all just happy to get them!

Still looking for more suggestions... its amazing how hard it can be to give away free stuff!

We deliberately don't do individual kids needs because just don't have enough to make a dent on one case like that really and so we try to maximise the impact on all the kids in a charity by bolstering the infrastructure of the charity for all the kids who pass through it. But if you asked me what the worst thing about SSF is for me, its saying no to these kinds of cases.


BUT, the silver lining is that if there is a residential/permanent charity we can help then we have a bit left over in the budget that we might be able to do something with the charity, or certainly next year!