on Dec 09, 20

The birthday gift that kept Jess dancing all day

What better way to spend a birthday than doing a little dance every time someone donated to Seed Waikato? For Jess Hood this is exactly how her day went, with each notification of a new donation to her birthday registry giving her “a little rush”.

For her 24th birthday this year, Jess opted to receive donations for Seed Waikato through The Good Registry rather than physical gifts, with the final amount raised reaching $180.

“Knowing that the money is going to make a difference to other young people in my community is the best gift I could ever have received!” Jess says.

As someone who has used Seed Waikato’s services herself, Jess loved the idea that she could use her birthday to give back to the charity that had supported her since moving to Hamilton a few years ago.

Moving to a new city without knowing anybody can be a truly daunting step, but thanks to Seed Waikato, Jess was introduced to more than she had ever hoped for.

“Seed Waikato has enabled me to meet people outside of my work and make some great friends” she says. “This year, during lockdown many of the virtual events that Seed Waikato hosted were exactly what I needed. They were instrumental in helping me through what was a very stressful time. Since then, I have attended many of their recent events and each time I come away feeling empowered.”

Jess loves the joy of giving gifts and she appreciates when gifts are truly meaningful. She says that whilst unwrapping gifts is always fun, this year the true joy came from each email notification saying that someone had donated to her registry.

“I had considered asking friends and family to donate to any charity of their choice — in lieu of buying gifts. However, after discovering The Good Registry, I decided it would be even more special to encourage people to donate to a charity that has supported and means so much to me. Seed Waikato was the immediate clear choice!”

Since 2017, Seed Waikato has been a charity that creates space for young people like Jess to thrive by facilitating opportunities to connect, grow and give back. Run by young people for young people, Seed Waikato is a community that enables people to unlock their potential, learn practical skills, and meet other young adults.

Jess says it was “so easy” to support the work Seed Waikato does through The Good Registry, and she encourages others to gift their birthday to a charity close to their hearts too. “There are so many charities to pick from and there is nothing better than knowing that you are making a real difference!” Jess says.

If you would like to know more about Seed Waikato, check out their website.

Or if you would like to start a registry to raise money for one of our charity partners, click here.

- By Caitlin Turner 

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