Winter blues: Wall of kindness to the rescue

THE WALL OF KINDNESS ENSURES ANONYMITY OF THE BENEFACTOR AND THE NEEDY CAN SELECT WOOLLENS ACCORDING TO THEIR REQUIREMENT

The onset of winter brings with it the onerous task of opening almirahs and boxes full of woollens and winter apparel and reviving them to wearable condition after a long period of hibernation.

Suits, cardigans, pullovers and thermal wear all stuffed and shoved in cupboards, crying for fresh air and sun, have to be sorted out, washed, dry-cleaned and sterilised under the gentle warmth of the sun.

Storing woollens is a difficult proposition in itself, leave aside the daunting task of managing and assigning them a proper place in racks and shelves of cupboards diminishing in size and capacity every passing season due to impulsive buying and round the year sales.

Every time I feel like getting rid of the unused pile-up of winter garments, by giving away to the needy, my wife is quick to intervene, “You are discarding perfectly wearable and expensive clothes. Why did you buy them in the first place if you had to give them away?” My resolution to clear the wardrobe goes for a toss and the expensive clothes find their way back to where they belonged.

But not this time, my firm resolve to declutter the closets began with the clearing of my unmanageable stock of winter apparel.

Having read somewhere, “Gift, what is precious to you. If you are giving away something that has outlived its utility, then it is nothing more than good riddance”, was enough to motivate me to give away coats, trousers, jackets and pullovers in perfect condition to the needy because of their unmanageable count.

The next hurdle arose with my driver, gardener and street sweeper declining my offer. “Sir, of what use are these clothes to us? We have to toil hard day in and day out. We don’t need jackets or tweeds. Give us shoes and lohis (a woollen shawl) instead,” the sweeper said. So the heap of heavy woollens sat there staring at me. I tried to contact a charitable organisation but they were candid in their admission: “We don’t accept used clothes. Give us cash if you have to and we’ll buy what we need.”

Somehow, I felt, I was not able to reach out to the genuine people in need of the warmth of my stock of woollens. I was caught in a Catch-22 situation for days till I came across the wall of kindness in Amritsar cantonment. It’s a noble initiative by defence personnel. They have built a wall with multiple hooks and a fibre-glass awning by roadside with a message on the adjoining signboard: Leave behind what is surplus and carry what you need.

Discovering the wall was a godsend. No middleman, no coercive tactics, no discussion. I simply had to unload my bag and walk away light and content. The wall of kindness has ensured anonymity of the benefactor and the needy can select clothes according to their requirement with their dignity intact. That justifies the real purpose and essence of charity.

I carted my lot of winter wear to the wall of kindness and walked away lighter, in heart and baggage.