Christine Langdon raised nearly $600 for the Skylight Trust for her birthday this year, and said it was one of the most feel-good birthdays she'd ever had.
"I didn't get a single gift - there was nothing I wanted or needed, and receiving no gifts meant no packaging, no wrapping, no waste, and utter joy at being able to help a good cause instead".
Christine is one of the co-founders of The Good Registry, and works as our Chief of Good.
She co-founded The Good Registry because she wanted to create a new way to help good causes and at the same time help solve the problem of unwanted gifts.
"In the past I've often asked friends and family not to give me gifts, but then received stuff that I didn't really want or need - and I always felt a little sad at the waste. With The Good Registry, I feel great that I can give the people who want to show me they care a way to do that, and also support causes I care about."
This year was the first year that Christine could pay forward her own birthday through The Good Registry (following our launch last November), and she says it felt so Good!
Christine chose to set up a Good Gift Registry for the Skylight Trust, a Kiwi charity that helps children and young people experiencing trauma in their lives — such as from bereavement or violence.
"Recently I attended a Skylight event where I heard the story of one young woman who found support from Skylight after loosing four siblings to suicide. Skylight delivered resources, support, aroha and understanding to her, her Whānau and her community. They’ve helped to break the cycle for that family and that community," Christine said.
"Skylight needs our help to deliver these sorts of vital services. Even if there were some ‘things’ I’d like for my birthday, there’s really nothing I’d like more than to help Skylight change — or even save — a young person’s life. That’s worth 100 years of gifts to me."
You can use your birthday to reduce gift-waste and help Good causes too. Ask friends and family to give you Good Gift Cards (which you can redeem to make donations to any charity on The Good Registry), or set up your own Good Gift Registry, choose your charity and send friends and family the URL to donate.
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