Wrap it up!

Despite the fact that we are in the middle of summer and the sun is as hot as it could be, let’s remember some other actions that happened more than half year ago when it was even snowing in some parts of Portugal.

This action that takes place in the same Continente and is another National level action and is called Embrulhamos a causa! (Wrapping the cause!). This action takes place between the end of November and Christmas. The main idea of this action is that people who buy presents in Continente can come to the wrapping stand of Red Cross and get the presents wrapped for free.

Actually, presents are wrapped for a donation, but the donation depends on you. Nobody will look at you differently if you donate more or less money. The main point is that you are donating for a good cause!

Working there is really funny. Firstly, not all the volunteers know how to wrap presents nicely, so we are again like a big family trying to help each other to cope with the presents who are not in the perfect box shape or needs more than one sheet of wrapping paper. It is also funny, because you can use your imagination while wrapping a present and make it look like a candy, dinosaur or whatever you can make happen.

What is more, you get to see what people are buying as presents and maybe it will help you to get some ideas for the presents you want to buy. Some people are nice and they not only bring some things for us to wrap, but also bring us presents, like a bar of chocolate, so you can feel the real Christmas spirit in the air.

Some presents are impossible to wrap or at least it looks like that. Once there was a human size toys of Santa Claus and Snowman that we needed to wrap. Another time we needed to wrap raw Bacalhau – traditional Portuguese fish that was also a great challenge. And I also heard stories about last year when someone had to wrap a bicycle!

I think this action is really great, not only to learn how to wrap presents, deal with impossible presents, but also get in the spirit of Christmas, when everyone is nicer, with bigger smiles and wants to help with a great cause by getting their presents wrapped!  

Gi