The Gift Box project started to get involved with the clothes collection over 20 years ago after receiving requests from its generous supporters asking if it would be possible to do so. Since then they have been collecting clothes approximately 4 times a year, which are delivered through trusted partners to those most in need. The next clothes drive takes place between 19-25 June 2024.
A large proportion of the population in Eastern Europe live in very precarious conditions especially those in Ukraine.
Everyone, the old, handicapped, and families, are deeply grateful for the help that your donations of good quality clothing are to them. You may leave your unneeded clothes and shoes with our team who will pass them onto the Mission so they are sent to these countries. The dedicated volunteers and local staff will ensure that they are distributed to those most in need.
Please donate your surplus clothes to our collection. See our list of acceptable items.
We want to treat people with dignity: donations must be freshly washed and in very good condition.
Have you ever tried to play soccer/football wearing crocs? We were contacted by Lizzie Crudgington who is looking to raise money for a charity that supports sports education for disadvantaged youth in Nairobi, including contributing sports materials. There are many ways to contribute, including donating any spare, gently-used football shoes. Please read on for more info.
This summer, the Crudgington family (from the Nyon area) will travel to Nairobi to work with disadvantaged 9 to 16 year-olds, supporting a local community organization, National Volunteer Services Kenya, in providing education for good health and well-being, whilst sharing their passion for sports.
Before heading to Kenya, they are raising funds that will go directly to the local community, as well as taking with them sportswear donated by institutions and individuals, and money to purchase (from Nairobi markets) additional sports equipment that is prioritised by the community.
Visit Sports4Kenya for more information about NVS Kenya and the Sports Education Programme, as well as opportunities to get involved.
These are just some of the ways you can support sports education for underprivileged youth in Nairobi Kenya:
** BLUE MIND ART: SILENT AUCTION FOR CHARITY
Wednesday, 29 May 2024
19h-21h
Eysins, VD
Lizzie Crudgington is selling some of her artwork (mostly of Lac Leman over the last 20 years) during an evening with wine, cheese and crudités. The event is to raise money for National Volunteer Services Kenya.
** FAMILY SPORTS DAY EVENT
Sunday, 2 June 2024
9h-13h
Prangins, VD
In addition to the above auction, Lizzie is also looking to reach her fundraising goal of CHF 2,000 by organising - with her sports coach husband - a fun morning of sport and games for all the family this Father's Day. Work up an appetite before Father's Day lunch! And during the event, please donate any of your used football shoes in good condition so the family can contribute them on your behalf to these children.
** SPONSOR SPORTS CHALLENGES
Click here to sponsor Lizzie and/or Ona to raise money for their trip to Kenya.
Rowing back to fitness
Following rotator cuff surgery in 2023 to fix a long-term shoulder injury, Lizzie is now aiming to get fit and strong again in 2024, and is taking to the rowing machine. Starting in February with short 1 and 2km rowing sessions, she will be ramping up the distance and speed, and has set herself an ambitious target: 400km on the rower by 30 June 2024!
Cycling Lake Geneva
As practice for her Silver Duke of Edinburgh Award expedition, Ona (age 14) will take to her bike with fellow DofE'ers for a three-day trip around Lake Geneva in June. A total of 180km, each day will be on average 60km.
Upcoming workshop on Sunday, 24 March from 9h30-13h30
What is The Brain Based Parenting Bootcamp?
The Brain Based Parenting Bootcamp is a parenting course designed and developed by Dr Jo Mueller, a Clinical Psychologist and Rachel Colin-Jones, a Paediatric & Specialist Family Nurse, who have a combined 30 years of experience working with families around the world. The course covers the most important information about children's brain development and shows how this impacts on behaviour. This sets the context for understanding how to more effectively manage behaviour. We provide a toolbox of practical parenting strategies that are effective, easy to remember and implement and enable parents to be calmer and to shout less. Importantly, the whole course is built on a solid scientific evidence base meaning parents can trust the information and strategies and have confidence that this approach will also support their child's long term emotional and psychological health. The course has been running for 18 months now and is consistently highly rated by parents and correlated with real change.
How does it work?
First parents watch 3.5 hours of on-demand, bite-sized video content in their own time. Then they book into a 4 hour in-person workshop where Dr Jo and Rachel help to tailor the content and strategies to each individual family. This is also an opportunity to meet and share experiences with other like-minded parents and to build local community. Parents retain lifetime access to the videos and to the course workbook.
Suisse romande poster for Kägi fret chocolate bisuits... corrected to read Kégi so the Suisse Romands can pronounce it!
There are several expressions that don't translate literally. It is fun to learn how to speak like a local. Do you know of any other phrases that we could show our readers? If so, please get in touch. Make sure to check out part one and part two of these articles.
Deçu en bien
Meaning "pleasantly surprised"
Literal translation: disappointed in good
The expectation of a bad or mediocre result, thus the opposite of disappointed. It is a confusing one but often used in Suisse Romandie.
Used in a sentence: Je suis deçu en bien après avoir finalement gouter la recette. Je ne m'y attendais pas que ça sera si delicieux car il n'avait par l'air. (I'm disappointed in a good way after finally tasting the recipe. I didn't expect it to be so delicious because it didn't look like it.)
Ce n’est pas terrible
The French expression ce n’est pas terrible is a weird one, because the word terrible can mean either “terrible” or “terrific.” When someone says c’est terrible! they might mean “it’s great!” or “it’s awful!”
In the negative, ironically, terrible is usually positive, so ce n’est pas terrible (or, more familiarly, c’est pas terrible) most commonly means “it’s not so great, it’s nothing special.”
Ça va pas le chalet?
Meaning "Are you crazy?"
Literal translation: isn't it alright in the mountain house?
Other similar expressions in French are "il n’a pas la lumière allumée à tous les étages” means “not every floor is lit."
Do you love sewing, would love to be included in classes among like-minded people, or are a novice willing to learn how to sew? Check out Naver Couture in Aubonne where you can participate, order, and celebrate around sewing and creating.
Do you have a sewing machine that needs servicing? Would you like to organize a party with a sewing theme? Do you prefer having a one-on-one lesson?
Naver Couture is also an official Elna Suisse dealer and offers 10% off the retail prices through their website.
Since we wrote an article about Naver Couture in 2020 at this link, lots of changes have been made. Nathalie Underhill has been building up her sewing classes and bespoke curtain orders to include much more.
