We are asking you to support producing and delivering “Boredom Packs”. These packs have items such as jigsaws, DVDs, quizzes etc to keep those self isolating entertained. The packs are delivered to the door and items such as jigsaws and DVDs are collected after 2 weeks and after a safe gap are redistributed.
Currently Emmaus Suffolk have posted 60 volunteer newsletters to our clients and delivered 130 Boredom Packs in April to our clients and other partners clients. These partners include The Chapman Centre, Cavendish Lodge (emergency bed hostel), Notting Hill Geneses Housing, Housing First project run by IHAG, ACT outreach service, Withipoll lodge (female only homeless shelter), Genesis Housing Felixstowe, Talitha koum (female only shelter) and Flagship Housing Group. We also created 15 packs for newly housed street homeless individuals, housed in a local b&b.
The feedback we have received from service providers and service users has been extremely positive.
Comments:
Jools Ramsey - Chief Executive Officer at Ipswich Housing Action Group Limited
Had really positive feedback about these. Thanks for organising Claire & Emmaus Suffolk volunteers
Service users:
Donna – thank you soooo much I’ve already lit the candle and started the puzzle. I surprised myself with the puzzle and its really helped with my anxiety.
Julie- thank you so much for my boredom pack can’t express how grateful I am and thankyou for your kind service in these circumstances
Marie - I received my boredom pack yesterday . Which I appreciate. But would like to point out. That half of it ain’t any good for me. I don’t have a tv or DVD player. I don’t have a CD player either. So the films & music. Are a no go. I also have no table or puzzle board to do the puzzle on. That leaves me with the books to read. Which I find really hard. As I have adhd. I would of liked some puzzle books. Colouring books. Pens,Paints,Paper arts & craft. Things to make. Thanks Again
We have also had an additional request for a further 60 Boredom packs which if delivered every 2 weeks would increase our distribution to 250 packs a month.
The creation and logistical delivery for these packs is much more laborious and time consuming than we first considered as each returned pack must be left for 3 days before reusing due to the contamination risk. Listening to the feed back from clients we also need to diversify the contents of the packs to enable more paper based activities.
Your funding would support us to increase our creation and delivery of these packs to vulnerable, isolated individuals.