Crossroads - The story

Rather than trying to start a charity, we resolved to come alongside existing ones and support them through our areas of training: chartered accountancy and public relations.

Malcolm, as a chartered accountant, volunteered financial counsel at a level that would otherwise have been a major cost outlay for these groups. Sally, as a public relations consultant, gave assistance on publicity materials to spread the word about organisations and projects in need of public support.

Put another way, we used words and numbers to serve those in need.

In 1995, however, that scenario changed. One of the NGOs we were serving asked for help following floods in Northern China. We offered the usual response. "We can prepare you a budget for your project. Or we can do you a story!"

"But can you send blankets and clothes?" they protested, politely. "Two million people have lost everything. Can you help us?"

Well, no. Not really. We were not set up to do anything like that.

We decided to try, though, and gathered items from the Hong Kong community.

• The first time, we sent off 19 boxes. They asked for more.
• So we collected again.
• The next time we sent off 72 boxes.
• The next time we sent off 136 boxes.
• The next time we sent off 248 boxes.

We could not stop this work from growing. Hong Kong's Social Welfare Department advised us to register and allowed us free use of six rooms in an old, unused government building.

At first, we thought we would never fill those rooms.

We were wrong!

Five tons of goods were sent out and, within three weeks, ten tons of goods had come in. Within three months, we could no longer fit in those six rooms. It was as if a hole had opened in the heavens and goods began to pour in.

The increase was not just in size and quantity, but also in variety. Soon it wasn’t just clothing and bedding that we were receiving. Donations of other kinds came until we had departments for computers and office provision, general furniture, educational equipment, medical provision, literature, stationery, household items, electrical appliances, and more.

The ensuing growth has left us open-mouthed.

• In 1995, we sent 19 cartons of relief supplies. Today, our warehouse has goods equating to 100 x 40' containers.
• In 1995, we used 170 square feet. Today, we operate from a site that covers 600,000 square feet (14 acres).
• In 1995, we were distributing relief to one destination. Today, we have requests from 106 countries.
• In 1995, we processed one consignment at a time. Today, we have more than 200 local orders and over 800 orders from groups around the world.
• In 1995, our full-time personnel consisted of two people. Today, we have 60 team members and many more volunteers from the community.

We still look back in amazement at an organisation we had no intention of starting. The whole undertaking seems to be a miracle that catches us by surprise, afresh, every day.

Not that we mind!

We may be exhausted but we can't help but be excited by the 'recycling' of these goods.

Instead of ending up in landfill, they are channelled to people whose lives may be renewed or even saved as a result.

And that is how this organisation came upon its name. It is indeed a crossroads, an intersection of need and resource.