Gifts For Guide Dogs at Harbour Town
We’ve all had them—those Christmas gifts that languish under the tree until it gets packed up, then end up shoved in a cupboard or re-gifted. It’s why gift cards are so popular, after all.
Harbour Town is working to prevent some of the $750 million in waste that comes from unloved gifts in Australia, though. Throughout most of January, the center is offering a gift amnesty. It’s encouraging shoppers to skip the re-gifting process, avoid the long return lineups and do some good in the process.
The gifts, which can be dropped off at the center’s customer service lounge, will go to help people living with low or no vision. Says Guide Dogs Queensland CEO Chris Laine, “We can use donations to the gift amnesty to help raise much needed funds for our services and programs through the sale and raffle of unwanted presents at fundraisers throughout the year.”
“We encourage people to drop their unloved gifts off to Harbour Town that would otherwise end up taking up storage space in the cupboard. As the saying goes, one man’s trash is another’s treasure.”
The center chose to partner with Guide Dogs Queensland, with its long experience supporting people in need.
“Every guide dog costs $30,000 to breed, train and place, and money raised from donated goods will help the journey of a puppy as it grows and is trained to be a life-changing guide dog,” said Jessica Buckley, the center’s marketing manager.
Not only does the initiative bring in money for a worthy cause, it’s also a great reminder of the value of gift cards for the holiday.
