An interview with: Volunteer of 5 years Phuong Dang

Phuong has been an avid volunteer since 2015 and has run her own local donations since 2016 helping over 200 people to date. We interviewed to find out more about her experience and advice for others looking to set up their own donations. A big thanks to Phuong for her support for the last 5 years!

How did you first get involved with Violet's Gift?

When Violet’s gift first started, I had seen a post on social media about donating gifts for care homes and thought it was a lovely idea!  I went out straight out to the shops to look for small stocking filler type gifts that I’d buy for my own grandparents!

It's great you're still volunteering for your 5th Christmas, what's motivated you to help all these years?

What’s kept me motivated over the years is seeing the delight on the residents faces when they receive their gifts and spending a bit of time with them.

Why and when did you decide to set up your own gift donations?

After reading the blog on how to set up your own gift donations in the second year of Violet’s gift, I was really inspired to contact care homes in my local area, I was saddened that there were so many residents who never receive visitors and this made me really glad that I was able to help so many people across different care homes.

What's been your favourite moment with running your own gift donations?

I’m always so overwhelmed by the support and generosity of others who have helped me over the years, from donating gifts, wrapping them and also joining me on the day to visit the residents in care homes.

What advice would you have to other people interested in running their own donations?

My advice to anyone interested in setting up their own would be to introduce it to your work place as a Christmas initiative.  I have been inundated with support from my colleagues – this year I left 1 box wrapped in Christmas paper with gift suggestions in a communal area and by the end I had over 100 gifts completely filling up 3 boxes!