Tuesday, 11 August 2009

Birthday girl can use your help for charity

Photo: BEN WATSONCHARITY MINDED: Mish Cockcroft asked friends and family to donate items to charity instead of giving her presents.

11/08/2009

Mish Cockcroft decided to do something different for her birthday – instead of presents, she asked her friends and family to donate items for charity.

The Birkenhead mother of two, who turned 31 on Wednesday heard how more animals were being surrendered to the SPCA but they’d also had a decrease in donations.

"I thought, gosh I should really help. I then stopped at the lights in front of a billboard stating a similar story about the Auckland City Mission and thought about helping again."

Ms Cockcroft chose five charities, because her birthday is on the fifth, and her aim was to collect 31 or 131 items for each.

She selected the SPCA, the Auckland City Mission, Starship hospital, Dress for Success and the children’s surgical centre in Cambodia and Vision Vietnam through the Intrepid Foundation.

For the SPCA, she aimed to get 131 tins or bags of cat and dog food. For the Auckland City Mission, she aimed for 131 items of food such as tins of spaghetti, baked beans, Weet-Bix and cornflakes.

For Starship she wanted 31 old cellphones for its recycling campaign.

For Dress for Success, which provides clothing, support and makeup for disadvantaged women returning to the work force, the aim was 131 clothing and makeup items.

The Intrepid Foundation collects glasses and sunglasses and ships them to Cambodia and Vietnam, where they are reconfigured for disadvantaged people. For this group she aimed for 31 pairs of glasses.

She says people have said it’s a great idea and she’s had a really positive response.

To donate email mishc@xtra.co.nz.

No comments: