PHOTO: 9-year-old Irene and 8-year-old Nelia from Zambia smile receive their new Thirty-One Gifts school bags from World Vision. (Credit: Deborah Johns/World Vision, July 2016)
This Giving Tuesday, Columbus, Ohio-based Thirty-One Gifts is partnering with humanitarian organization World Vision to provide backpacks, drawstring bags and clothing to thousands of children and families in the United States, Puerto Rico and elsewhere who have been affected by disasters this year or may otherwise be in need of items like these. Many of the bags will be distributed to refugees and internally displaced families in conflict zones who need sturdy, lightweight bags to help them carry their belongings.
“In many ways, this has been an unprecedented year for natural disasters,” said Jennifer Hawley, Senior Director for Corporate Engagement at World Vision. “Through a generous partnership with Thirty-One Gifts, we will be able to bring emergency relief items to thousands of children and families in the United States and around the world who have lost nearly everything.”
Any donation to World Vision on Giving Tuesday will have twice the impact, thanks to the partnership with Thirty-One Gifts. For every donation to World Vision on that day, Thirty-One Gifts will provide up to $1 million in backpacks, apparel and bags to help women and children in need.
“We’re honored to be involved with World Vision for the fourth year in a row,” said Wendy Bradshaw, Executive Director of Community Affairs at Thirty-One Gifts. “We’ve been very pleased to see our products used to assist people in need during recent disasters, and we’ve seen how World Vision is onsite immediately to help people when they need it the most. It’s our pleasure to help them further their impact and help more individuals and families in need everywhere through our donation match. We are hopeful many people will double their donation through this match on Giving Tuesday.”
This is the fourth year the two organizations have partnered together on Giving Tuesday to spread generosity during the holiday season. Since this partnership first formed in 2013, Thirty-One Gifts has donated more than $4.7 million to the humanitarian organization.
Giving Tuesday, the Tuesday after Thanksgiving, is a day devoted to charitable giving, volunteering and advocacy, in response to the consumer focus of Black Friday and Cyber Monday.
The World Vision Gift Catalog gives donors over 100 ways to join the movement to end extreme poverty with life-saving gifts such as child sponsorship that make a tangible impact on families in need. Shoppers don’t have to spend a lot of money to make a difference in a child’s life this holiday season as gifts range from $16 to $39,000. In 2016 alone, more than 112,000 people donated more than 274,000 items.
World Vision is a Christian humanitarian organization dedicated to working with children, families and their communities worldwide to reach their full potential by working to combat the causes of poverty and injustice. World Vision serves all people regardless of religion, race, ethnicity or gender.
