Collecting for a cause
Cause marketing this week is all about making it easy to give.
Erith Riverside Shopping Centre is taking in something that most people wouldn’t think to donate: gently used bras. With its Bra Bank, the shopping center collects bras to send to third-world countries where they are often an out-of-reach luxury. But the first stop for the bras is on the scale: for each kilo of bras it collects, the shopping center is donating money to Barnado’s, a local charity that supports underprivileged youth.
Westfield Vancouver is also helping out local youth by working with Operation Fairy Godmother. The annual charity project appeals to shoppers to donate their gently-used formalwear, so that girls who otherwise couldn’t afford it can dress for the prom. Monetary contributions go to buying dresses in less common sizes. In March, the mall holds the Fairy Godmother Dress Extravaganza. Every student that donates a dress at her school gets a voucher for a free dress at the event, as do students that can’t afford to shop for the prom, so no one feels stigmatized in the process.
And teen clothing retailer Aeropostale also heads a collection: Teens for Jeans. Together with DoSomething.org, the retailer is encouraging teens to take action and work with their peers to collect jeans for homeless teenagers. Gossip Girl’s Chace Crawford is onboard to help push the initative.
