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Do you have first-aid supplies you don't need right now?

Katya Malakhova of Newton, who founded a Ukrainian relief program five years ago, is collecting first-aid supplies to go out in a Wednesday shipment to Ukraine. Specifically:

Large amounts of bandages, multi trauma dressings, gloves (size large and medium), IV starter kits, medical scissors, Ibuprofen, Tylenol, aspirin, antibiotic cream, eye wash, burn aid, antiseptics.

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Comments

SLAVA UKRAINI

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But Rosie's Place or the Pine Street Inn always needs toiletries and assorted first-aid stuff like band-aids and gloves.

Sure, an IV bag may be something they could use on the front but seriously...how long until it gets to Kyiv?
You don't exactly get a tracking number when delivering to a warzone.

Sending funds directly to LEGITIMATE on the ground relief efforts are a far better use of time and resources.

A+ for effort and intent, but Javelins from NATO are gonna take precedent over boxes of Advil from Boston.

Flame on.

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I've heard this over and over again with regard to disaster relief of all kinds: with rare exceptions, collecting material goods far away and then attempting to transport them to where they are needed is not the best way to get help to people in need. We all get it: when you see people sleeping in a subway, you want to give them a blanket. That's a good impulse, it means you care. But when you give materiel to an organization, they have to come up with the funds and logistics to get it to where it's needed. Often they simply can't do it, and the donated supplies are quietly discarded or donated locally at the point of origin. Donating funds to organizations that are already operating in the area is the best way to help those who need it.

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Click the link and share it with local groups.

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After the Christmas tsunami there was an outpouring of people collecting supplies for the regions affected. A year or so later I ran across an article where someone was there and they were shown a warehouse full of boxes filled with random stuff that had not been touched. Basically the effort required to go through it all and sort it to make it accessible where and when it was needed was too much and would take away from more value-added efforts.

The lesson from the person giving the tour was that while the intentions are greatly appreciated, the net benefit was almost nil. Instead of cleaning out your medicine cabinet or linen closet a small cash donation to an aid organization allows them to buy needed supplies in bulk. That means they end up with a warehouse with pallets of specific supplies that are easily pulled and distributed locally where needed.

Whenever I see those sorts of donation boxes for disaster relief I now picture them languishing in a warehouse in that disaster zone rather than actually being put to good use.

For this specific effort it isn't clear what "large amounts" means, but if it's not at least a case then I think it would fall into the same sort of bucket.

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We're also talking about supplies that are never surplus in your own hands. If you aren't using them right now, you may need them soon.

Leaving yourself unprepared while sending supplies to go sit in a box until the end of time doesn't help anyone, and could add to a logistical clog for no good reason. You've put yourself at a disadvantage while not doing anything positive for the situation, I'd consider that an insult to those you are trying to help. Good intentions, but not good results.

Maintain your own supplies and give money to those who can procure the needed supplies AND get them to where they are needed.

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...if you really do have excess supplies, they can be donated locally to people who need them. From what I've heard, food banks and survival centers often have plenty of jars of peanut butter and boxes of mac and cheese, but are short of personal care items, and I suspect first aid items as well.

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if you are in a position to get needed surplus supplies into the hands of people who need it, by all means.

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