How do you tell a 9 year old?

[Rooster-UK]

I'm in Birmingham, so out of the loop.

[hilaryfrances]

ah Rosie, thats kind of you, I should think with 7 kids you have enough to worry about. I just wish this guy would let us know where we can send him things so they can have the most fantastic Christmas ever

[hilaryfrances]

Come on pi stoff, you asked the question and we are tying to give you the answer, I have been 9, cold and hungry. Now I am fat and warm and very grateful, even though I have been married for nearly 40 years I dont take things for granted. Everyone on her has been broke or is still broke, we are not offering charity just geniune offers of help. Please let us, tell us an address were we can send the things that have been offered to you. regards Hilary

[angel_1]

ah thats a good idea,,,what about friends of pistoffs who are in the bristol area who owns say a pub or hotel, or a business, that could work out couldnt it??

 

ciao maz

 

 

hiya

 

you have had some great replies and we do all want to help, and i reiterate you dont need to give your personal address if you dont want to, my earlier thoughts were to protect you if you could give us at least a Business address do you know Anyone in a business local to you that would be willing to accept post or a parcel on your behalf ?

 

a local grocer, flowershop, butcher, farmer, a family firm you know and trust

 

we do want to help and sharing is what christmas is all about

 

id rather a dvd came to you then put aside and never used again

 

im proud to be part of cag and this thread has shown we are good people who have just some of us fallen on bad times but still have a heart and compassion for others

 

let us know pls how you want us all to proceed

 

have a fun day all, God Bless all of you kind people

 

Ciao MAZ:)

[oopsadaisy]

Been a long time lurker and today have finally signed up. Just wanted to say what a lovely generous bunch you are.

 

Things will come good for you OP, I'm sure of it.

[scatz1972]

This thread brought tears to my eyes, its so sad.....but its also very warming and comforting to see so many people offer help and money to a total stranger, just shows that CAG really is a true community.

 

It would be nice to be able to set up some kind of fund for members who are struggling, especially at this time of year.

[hilaryfrances]

yes I agree, I would have been grateful for help in the past, just wish I could do something for others now. I hate people who had money worries in the past and then forget what it was like and act very smug. I work with someone like that and I just want to smack him when I hear him crowing

[jansus]

Well if nothing else it has pushed me to sort out my toys and games and take them to my local Oxfam.

 

Funnily enough my son who is 21 said he most remembered a bike he had one christmas and a snooker table.

 

They were both bought second hand for £5.00 each when my husband was out of work. We completely took the bike to bits and resprayed it. And repaired the snooker table which was a bit wonky! So for all the money we spent on presents over the years these are the ones he remembers !

[Mr Happy]

I would like to thank everyone for your kind offers of help, sorry I haven't been able to reply I use the weekend for family time and avoid my computer.

 

I can not accept your gifts, there are people with far worse problems than me, I still have a roof over my head and managing to keep the utility companies at bay, all I need is the support that this group offers, the best things in life are free.

 

I will ensure my son gets a Christmas, I am not sure how but I will, your kind support has added more motivation to get things sorted, it is so easy to just give up.

[Rooster-UK]

Pi-Stoff, please don't be too proud to accept these offers. They have been made with no strings attached.

I am sure that they would lighten your load. Next year, you might be in a position to help someone else, but this year is your turn.

 

Regards, Rooster.

[hilaryfrances]

yes I agree with Rooster, please let us help you, I have had help in the past form different people, sometimes the only way you can pay kind people back is too help other people. Just pass on good fortune, when you able, to someone else. There is no need to struugle. people WANT to help. Hils

[Guest symbio-dek]

Pi-stoff,

 

As per your statement ''I cannot accept your gifts'' - they're not for 'you' . . .

 

As per your statement ''there are people with far worse problems than me'' - It's not about 'your' problems . . .

 

As per your statement ''All i need is the support this group offers'' - Yes, you will get it in bucket loads!! - But this isn't about the support you need . . .

 

Please afford us all the courtesy of putting your pride or upset, or whatever it may be, to the side, and realise that these are gifts being given to your son, not you! . . .

 

Would you refuse him gifts from his family - No! you wouldn't! . . . Well, this is the same thing . . . So do the right thing, and sort out the secure address problem! - ok!!

If your silly, and i mean silly! pride kicks in again, then do it via pm . . . and we will all be very discrete for you - but damn well do it!!!!

 

Oh! - and one last point - As per your statement ''the best things in life are free'' - well these gifts are for free - doesn't that make them the best things in life? . . . what kind of dithering little ninnie would deny their child them, by turning them down . . . I'll accept the refusal, if it comes from your child!! - not you!!

 

Sorry for barking at you, I feel bad now, but it had to be said . . .

 

Dek

[angel_1]

We do appreciate your concern, but like you see we have offered because we do care and if nothing else it brings us all joy to think we have sent a simple thing to make a child really happy

 

pride you can leave that at the door,,,just let us do this small kindess and if you get lots of stuff dont worry you pass it on to any of your friends who think deserves a bit of a break too, we would be so proud of that

 

take care and keep happy and keep coming back to us, we really do care and its really simple, take a breath, hold out your hand, and accept a little kindness in your life and just send us all a big cyber wave and we will all be happy

 

ciao hugs MAZ

[ohoh4312]

I am at the end of my tether - been diagnosed with severe depression and possible agoraphobia today due to debt problems, but......

 

I KNOW for a fact that I have kids stuff here, in good condition, that may be suitable for yours - my boys are now 10 & 11, and usually I give it all to a local charity shop (that doesn't send it abroad - sorry but that is really important to me, that we help our own first), but I would happily sort it out for you.

 

CAG has helped me SO much, but at the moment I cannot afford to donate, however if I could help you then I would feel like I was giving something back, and it might also help me to get out of the dark horrible place I am in.

 

Please let me know x

[Guest symbio-dek]

I'm sorry if was bit gruff in earlier post . . plonkers at sky upset me . . didn't mean to tell you what to do

Maz and ohoh are very kind, and very right though . . .

If your boy has a less than super xmas . . it'll be one he remembers - for the wrong reasons . . . (I know this memory - not good one - cant erase!)

You can't fix a mistake like that, Please don't make it . . .

If it'll make you feel better, pay us - i'll take a (posted on here) comfirmation of your boys happiness on xmas-day, and an emoticon smile . . . as full and complete payment!

[caro]

If nothing else, maybe this thread will prompt more of us to sort through toys etc and take them to charity shops, so that those who struggle this Christmas have a chance to buy some good stuff at cheap prices. Maybe to make a bit of money you could advertise, or put some of the toys your son has outgrown on ebay or in the local paper to raise a bit of money towards something new.

 

It would be nice to find a way of helping those in need on the site, but the practicalities would make it very difficult.

[breeze1996]

I need to make a christmas special one year, so I had a great idea.

 

I got some cheap balloons about 50 in christmas colours, and filled the floor with them, added the gifts near the tree and let the kids go pop and hunt.

 

All their friends were so jealous of them. As they had never had this done.

To this day they still talk about it. Which goes to show it's not the gifts they remember but the emotion of the day.

 

As to the food thing, try buying the own make biscuits and keeping in a tin out of reach of little hands, you get 4 different lots for £1, that and a drink will fill a kids tummy. My daugter also loves noodles, and they are about 10p a pack for own brand and make a great snack, more filling than crisps and cheaper too.

[Guest symbio-dek]

It would be nice to find a way of helping those in need on the site, but the practicalities would make it very difficult.

 

- Not really Caro, there are more than enough male (wouldn't have security issues with meeting up) members on here to set up transport network for gifts, like the one suggested by Rooster . . . Once in place, i think it could be a very effective (help people who need it) tool - especially when it matters (chrimbo for example)

 

The only reason i dismissed Roosters fine suggestion, is that if i posted to suggest it, it would probably be ignored . . .

 

I would blame this on (me not being in the green dot club) . . . when really, it would be due to the fact that i'm ranting (like a looney running round in a circle) at the moment, coz im so miffed with my current situation, that i want to fist-fight every creditor in the country - all at once . . . (end of rant)

 

If you want give something like that a go, i'm in - but im certainly not posting the suggestion . . .

[pt2537]

It would be nice to find a way of helping those in need on the site, but the practicalities would make it very difficult.

 

- Not really Caro, there are more than enough male (wouldn't have security issues with meeting up) members on here to set up transport network for gifts, like the one suggested by Rooster . . . Once in place, i think it could be a very effective (help people who need it) tool - especially when it matters (chrimbo for example)

 

The only reason i dismissed Roosters fine suggestion, is that if i posted to suggest it, it would probably be ignored . . .

 

I would blame this on (me not being in the green dot club) . . . when really, it would be due to the fact that i'm ranting (like a looney running round in a circle) at the moment, coz im so miffed with my current situation, that i want to fist-fight every creditor in the country - all at once . . . (end of rant)

 

If you want give something like that a go, i'm in - but im certainly not posting the suggestion . . .

Symbio

 

If you have threads that are unanswered and need attention then please PM me a link to them and i will happily see what advice i can offer if any, i dont treat anyone differently if they have more rep points or Green Dits and just because a user has Green dots doesnt mean that they get more attention than others;)

[Guest symbio-dek]

I asked for them to be deleted pt2537 . . then deleted them from my subscribed threads quick link, and wouldn't know if they had been, or where to find them if they hadn't been.

 

Not asking for help now - too far gone! - and sick and tired of acronyms on here . . . Only SAR (as you can see) . . explains what the hell it is - think all should self-explain like this . . to prevent confused newbies from leaving site . . . Would thread request this also, if were in green dot club! - but have learned not to waste time with posting now!

 

Only now offering help . . .

 

Thank you very much for your concern though . . . you have my respect

[hilaryfrances]

gord I hadnt even noticed the dots!

[Mr Happy]

We put the trimmings up yesterday and he loved doing that, its a bit early but he is so excited.

 

We invested in some Hyacinth bulbs for 90p and planted them so he can watch them grow, I think he wanted them to grow a bit quicker though.

 

To set the record straight I am male and I live with my partner, she is a bit of a worrier so I am sorting the finances and she makes the most of the little cash we have for meals, currently £75 a month family allowance (or whatever its called now).

 

I am a normally confident person, I applied for a job in the Police Force in May, had an interview 2 months a go and haven't heard since, their supposed to be a people company.

 

I am trying to get a job as a computer engineer in the mean time.

 

Despite my confidence I shake every time there is a knock on the door, A Bailiff came as I wrote this post, we never answer the door, even the postie gets ignored when he knocks, I feel so sorry for people without my normal confidence they must quake with fear.

 

There is 1 thing that this forum has given me and that is I to not fear the post coming through the door, every nasty letter can be another nail in the coffin for my creditors.

Edited December 2, 2008 by Pi-stoff

[hilaryfrances]

hello matey, dont worry we have all been there, at least I have, if I had a pound for every letter I got that I did not open I would be rich now. You are not alone but people do genuinley want to help you, if you will just give us the chance. Let us sort out Christmas for you and then you can sort out the rest of your life after, with our help. Hilary

[Mr Happy]

You have all put me in a difficult spot, I don't feel as though I deserve all this help, I can not explain why but I feel like a fake and I shouldn't accept your help, I feel as though I should be the one helping, that is why I applied to be a PCSO I love to help people worse off than me or who don't know how to or cant look after themselves.

 

But when I see my son all excited and saying what he will do when Santa comes, makes me want to accept it.

 

You can not possibly imagine how difficult this is for me.

[Rooster-UK]

Pi-Stoff, there are absolutely no strings attached to these offers. Please let us help you. Next year it may be your turn to help someone. Let the ones who were in your position, last Christmas, do their bit.

 

Regards, Rooster.