Winter clothes drive
Collecting warm clothes and blankets in good condition from town homes, washing and sorting them, and giving them out from a list of families in the cold north.
- 0/8 people
- About 16 hours
- 25
- points
About this task
Nilphamari in the north gets bitter winters; poor families suffer most. Collecting sweaters, jackets, shawls and blankets in good condition from town homes, offices and mosques; washing, sorting and packing them by size; then handing out by token from a list made with the union council or school, the elderly and children first.
Why it matters
Every winter cold waves bring temperatures far down in the northern districts; the elderly and children fall ill, and people are burned warming themselves by fires. Meanwhile many town homes hold warm clothes nobody uses.
What changes after
Every family on the list received, with signatures; nothing torn or dirty given; a link kept between the giving and receiving areas.
Who can join
Anyone in town can collect; local volunteers hand out.
Step by step
0 of 3 steps doneHow to do it, in order.About 16 hours across all steps
- 1
The list of families
With the union council or a local school, the families in most need, the elderly and children first.
180 min
Not startedIn hand:Nobody yet - 2
Collect and sort
Nothing torn or dirty; packed by size (child/adult).
480 minবস্তা
Not startedIn hand:Nobody yet - 3
Hand out
From the list, one pack per family, a signature or thumbprint.
300 minপরিবহন
Not startedIn hand:Nobody yet
What you need
- Sacks · ৫০টি
- Transport · ১টি ভ্যান বা পিকআপ
When it counts as done
- Every family on the list received, with signatures
Proof required
- Photo
- Signatures
Safety
Hand out by token to avoid crowds. Nobody photographed without consent.
The full guide
What it takes, and how to do it
Never done this before? No matter. The cost, the timeline, who does what, whom to speak to, the day hour by hour, the risks and ready words to send are all here.
- About
- ৳8,000–20,000
- People
- 8
- Time in all
- 16 hours
- Age
- 15 or older
Best timeCollect and sort in November; hand out from mid-December into January, before or as the cold wave starts. Watch the Meteorological Department's cold-wave news to set the date.
PermissionCollecting needs no permission. Check the hand-out list with the union parishad or a local school, and get their consent to use the place (school ground, council yard).
What it costs
Prices differ by district and season; this is a 2026 estimate. Keep receipts and put them in the proof.
| What | How much | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Sacks50Where: Rice wholesaler or used-sack shop | 50 | ৳15–25 |
| Washing powder5 kgWhere: Grocery | 5 kg | ৳180–250 |
| Printing token cards1 set (200)Where: Photocopy and print shop | 1 set (200) | ৳200–400 |
| Transport to the district (pickup or bus parcel)1 tripWhere: Truck/pickup stand or bus counter parcel desk | 1 trip | ৳5,000–15,000 |
| Local van on the hand-out day1 dayWhere: Local van or auto-rickshaw stand | 1 day | ৳800–1,500 |
| Markers, tape, twine1 setWhere: Stationery shop | 1 set | ৳150–300 |
| Total (about) | ৳8,000–20,000 | |
Getting ready, step by step
3 weeks before
- Choose the union or village; start the list with the union parishad or the school head teacher.
- Announce collection points and dates in town (homes, offices, mosques).
10 days before
- Sort what came in: torn or dirty apart; wash and dry where needed.
- Pack by child, adult and elderly; label each pack.
- Match the number of packs to the families on the list.
3 days before
- Fix transport and send the packs; a local volunteer receives them.
- Get named tokens to the listed families, with time and place.
On the day
- By token and list, one pack per family; take a signature or thumbprint.
- Serve the elderly, disabled and mothers with children first; keep seats.
- Note separately those who could not come.
The week after
- Take packs to the homes of families who did not come; get signatures.
- Thank donors with a short account (how many packs, how many families).
Who does what
Lead1
Fixes list, date and place with the union parishad or school.
Collectors2
Collect from homes and offices in town, checking condition.
Sorting and packing2
Wash, fold, pack by size, label.
Local hand-out team2
Check tokens, manage the line, take signatures.
Records and photos1
List, signature sheet, photos with consent.
Whom to speak to first
The union parishad (chairman's or secretary's office)
- Why
- They know the families in most need; to avoid double receiving or leaving people out.
- How
- Visit with a letter; check the list together, and verify a few homes yourselves.
The local primary or secondary school head teacher
- Why
- Knows pupils' families who suffer in the cold; the school ground is a safe place to hand out.
- How
- Write asking to use the ground on a holiday.
Town mosque committees, offices and residents' associations
- Why
- The biggest source of donations.
- How
- Ask to place a box and notice; write the last date on it.
The day, hour by hour
- 08:30Local team on site; packs set out by size, table and list ready.
- 09:00Separate line and seats for the elderly and disabled.
- 09:30Hand-out begins: check token and name, give the pack, take signature or thumbprint.
- 11:00Ten-minute team breaks in turns, so the line keeps moving.
- 12:30Check the list for who is left; note them.
- 13:00Count leftover packs, leave with a local keeper, plan home deliveries.
- 13:30Clean up, photograph the signature sheets, done.
How to take the proof
- Clear photos of every page of the signed list; cover phone numbers if shown publicly.
- One photo of the packs laid out, with the count.
- Hand-out photos from behind or far; no faces without consent, no children's faces.
- Transport receipt and spending account.
Common first-time mistakes
- Handing out on the road without a list; the strong get it, the weak miss out.
- Packing everything one size; adult sweaters do not fit children.
- Photographing faces while handing over, for publicity; it shames people.
- Setting the hand-out after the cold wave has passed.
What can go wrong, and what to do
Many people beyond the list arrive, crowding and pushing
Give only by token; explain calmly, note their names for a later round; if it gets disorderly, pause and ask the union parishad for help.
Not enough packs
Match list and packs beforehand; if short, serve the elderly and children first and give the rest a date.
Burns from warming by fires
Say in a minute at hand-out: keep loose shawls and saris away from fires, never leave a child alone by a fire; if clothes catch fire, roll on the ground, call 999 or 16163.
Torn or dirty clothes slip into packs
Two people check during sorting; when in doubt, leave it out. Give nothing you would be ashamed to wear.
Ready words to send
Copy, fill the [brackets], send.
WhatsApp / Facebook call for winter clothes
The sweater you never wear could get someone in the north through the winter. [team name] is taking warm clothes and blankets in good condition until [date]. Drop at: [collection point], [hours] What helps: sweaters, jackets, shawls, blankets, children's warm clothes, clean and untorn. Where it goes: [union], [district/upazila], from a list made with the union parishad and school. We take no money, only clothes. To volunteer, join this task's page on Desher Kaj.
Application to the union parishad
Date: [date] To The Chairman [union] Union Parishad, [upazila], [district] Subject: Help with the list for winter clothes, and use of a place for hand-out. Sir/Madam, We are [team name], a volunteer team on the Desher Kaj platform. On [date] we wish to hand out about [number] packs of winter clothes, collected in town, to families in need in [union] union. We kindly request: 1. Your help in listing the families in most need, with elderly, child or disabled members. 2. Permission to use [place] for the hand-out. Hand-out will be by token, with signature or thumbprint. No money will be taken from anyone. Yours faithfully [Name], team lead [team name]
After it is done
- Deliver leftover packs within a week and add the signatures to the proof.
- Keep the list (private details removed); it will help next winter.
- Tell donors the short result; they will respond first next year.
Questions people ask
Will used clothes do?
Yes, if clean and in good shape: what you would wear yourself.
Can I join if I cannot stay the whole time?
Yes. Say in your request which step or which hours you can do. The lead will give that step to you.