Hi, everyone!!!
Well, the last of our boxes has been sent filled with great donations in new or very good condition. Here are some tips if you choose to send any packages to a military FPO address, or to friends and family in Japan to help out. There were some learning curves for us- but, I still feel that it was worth the time, energy and money- I’ll explain further down:
1) It is a litte pricey. We shipped local donations that ended up filling 8 boxes in varying sizes (1 Very Large heavy box (approx 3x3x3 ft), 2 Large heavy boxes 2.5 x2.5×2.5 ft) and 5 medium boxes). Approximate cost at lowest shipping rate came to about $71 for the largest, heaviest boxes. Total shipping cost for the first shipment: $371. That is a lot of money, for sure. We received a total of $220 in offers from around the world (craziness!) to help ship the goods overseas to offset shipping costs. Some people might think that it is silly to pay so much to ship used items (even in good condition)- but I offer that $371 doesn’t go very far when you’re buying people cheap sheets, blankets, even socks. At the dollar store, $371 won’t even buy 371 pair of socks when you consider sales tax. There are hundreds of thousands of people who could probably use an extra pair of socks right now- I think it all counts.
2) Keep track of what’s in each box. Each box requires its own Customs form to be filled out by hand before shipping if you haven’t already done them online and printed them using the USPS service located at:
https://webapps.usps.com/customsforms/ The more specific the detail of what is contained in each box listed on the form, the more likely your box is to make it through customs to your recipient in Japan.
However, we did not fill out the forms online which brings me to the next item:
3) It takes time and energy. Since we did not fill out the customs forms online, my wonderful husband spent awhile at the post office filling out each form. Customs forms aside, the whole process of collecting the donations, sorting, boxing, filling out forms and mailing them is work. It takes time. But, when there is a good cause and there are volunteers willing to help, the cliche that “it’s a labor of love”, becomes reality.
4) Individuals (unless you are independently wealthy) should keep it small. Considering the shipping cost and labor considerations, I highly recommend individuals who would like to ship to the address I provided in the previous email consider sending smaller packages (a pack of diapers, a box of collected mittens, umbrellas, etc) Few of us have the resources to ship large quantities.
Was it worth it? I think it was- Throughout this process, the people involved have learned several things. In the end, someone might look at these tips I’m posting and wonder why anyone would do such a thing- to send local items overseas at such manual, time and money cost? I can’t speak for anyone else, but for me, I imagine my precious baby’s winter hat on the head of another worried mama’s baby- and it’s all good.
