Unwanted gifts will be wanted elsewhere

More than 400 volunteers will be sorting the packages. Croix-Rouge Suisse

A Christmas campaign to help the needy both in Switzerland and abroad is underway as an annual way of dealing with unwanted presents.

The operation, called “Twice Christmas”, is collecting surplus gifts and will distribute them with the help of the Swiss Broadcasting Corporation, Swiss Post and the Swiss Red Cross.

The initiative, which is now in its eighth year, was the result of a pre-Christmas brainstorming among staff of a consumer programme at German-language Swiss radio.

The idea is that people take unwanted gifts to their local post office, which transports them free of charge to the logistics depot of the Swiss Red Cross in Bern.

This year and until January 5, an army of more than 400 volunteers will sort out the presents for distribution to the underprivileged.

Some will go to nursing and children’s homes, as well as refugee admission centres in Switzerland.

East Europe

Others will go to East Europe, with a focus on Romania. Distribution will also take place in Belarus, Moldavia and Bulgaria.

SBC radio programmes will regularly report on how the campaign is progressing.

Coordinators say that the campaign has been “exceptionally successful” since it was first run in 1997/98.

Last year, nearly 70,000 parcels were collected, weighing 297 tons and worth about SFr4 ($3.49 million).

The Swiss Red Cross particularly asks for pens, pencils, and school exercise books for children, new children’s shoes, toiletry articles, non-perishable foodstuffs such as pasta, rice, cooking oil and preserves, as well as children’s toys.

Toothpaste for Christmas?

It says that although it might sound odd to offer someone a packet of pasta or a tube of toothpaste as a Christmas present, experience has shown that many people are only too happy to receive them.

The goods can save money and indirectly might help people pay for something special they want.

Packages of food have to have a sell-by date of at least six months ahead because distribution abroad can take that time.

Old clothes are not wanted for a number of reasons. The Swiss Red Cross says they are not the most needed or wanted articles in the groups of people they target.

swissinfo with agencies

Key facts

In 2003/2004 the Swiss Red Cross’s cantonal associations ordered 190,000 kgs of goods, ranging from effervescent tablets and disposable nappies to puzzles.
Canton Bern ordered 25,229 kgs of goods, Solothurn more than 19,000 kgs and canton Zurich 17,233 kgs.
Out of a total of 873 kgs of cuddly toys, canton Lucerne alone received 227 kgs.

In brief

The “Twice Christmas” campaign was the idea of editorial staff of “Espresso”, the consumer programme of German-language Swiss radio.

The basic idea is to redistribute unwanted or surplus gifts.

In 1997/98, goods worth SFr2.5 million were donated. In 2003/2004, the value of goods was SFr4 million.

A total of SFr28 million has been donated since the launch of the initiative.