AMA Sponsors the' Giving Tree' 2016

Thank you to all of the staff and friends of Austen Morris Associates who donated bags for this years Giving Tree Program organised by the Community Centre Shanghai alongside Home Sweet Home who organised the ‘filling of the Gift Bags’ on behalf of the AMA, Friends and Family. HSH also benefitted by receiving a contribution per bag filled. This year’s beneficiary was the New Meadow Primary Migrant School in Xinnong Village,Gaoqiao Town, Pudong an hour and a half North of Shanghai, China.
Everyone who contributed made a big difference to a migrant child’s life this holiday season. With only 250 RMB per bag we were able to purchase a special gift (basketball, Guitar, dolls etc) a new warm jacket, new shoes and school supplies, items which are beyond most of their families means. Migrant school families are from all over China with the majority of the migrants coming from Anhui, Sichuan, Henan, and Guizhou. Their parents’ work around 6-7 days per week with long hours of work mostly in factories, farming, construction, and piecework. Their average household income is 3,000-4,000 RMB per month. Typically, both of the children’s parents work and this monthly income is often unstable with unpredictable temporary labor or weather conditions for farming. Living conditions of these families are an average 1 room space of about 15-20 square meters. They have no heat, cooling, internal kitchen or bathroom, their typical bathroom is a shared outhouse with 10 other families.
This is the Fifth year that Managing Senior Partner James Colclough and Founding Senior Partner Greg Morris, have led the program internally along with the marketing and events team. The Colclough Family including James’ wife Coco and daughter Jasmine joined the special ceremony at the school along with the Head of Recruitment Anu Aggarwal, Special Projects Manager Billie Jin and Accountant Vivian Yu.
This year Austen Morris Associates participated in The Giving Tree program and filled over 50 bags for needy children in the Shanghai area. We believe in program which make a difference in the lives of children today as well as teach values of education, generosity and a positive future. A special thank you to all of the AMA Shanghai staff who donated including; Anu, Billie, Dino, Kelly, Vivian, Ted, Yogesh, Bessie, Jon and his wife Lillian. To those in the community who joined our efforts in donating one or more bags including 28 personal friends of James and Coco Colclough we ‘Thank You’ from the bottom of our hearts.
From just 32 bags in 2003 to over 10,000 per year since 2009, The Giving Tree has established itself in Shanghai as a trusted organisation that connects generous donors with children in need.
Keeping children’s preferences in mind with individualised bags, and giving donors an opportunity to hand deliver bags to the children who will benefit from them, Giving Tree is a unique community engagement organisation. Each year, Giving Tree aims to create over 10,000 “Future Giving Trees”, children in need who have been inspired by the generosity shown to them in the form of a gift bag full of winter clothes and school supplies. In the years to come, we envision these gift bags spreading the message of giving to many more thousands of people, as recipients remember the message of Giving Tree by these small tokens of kindness. The hope is that these children will one day pay it forward and give to others. Each bag is assigned to a specific child with their preferences and details in mind. In late November/early December, bag sponsors give the bags directly to the children they support in a distribution ceremony. By keeping children’s preferences in mind with individualised bags, and giving donors an opportunity to hand deliver gifts to the children who will benefit from them, Giving Tree has established itself as a unique community engagement organisation.
If you want to get involved or more information contact CCS Giving Tree givingtree@communitycenter.cn