A Fitting 50th Birthday Gift!

Every year when World Environment Day comes around, I think about all the great work done by our Social Enterprise division as they recycle all the secondhand clothes and goods donated to Christian Action. This year I had to think about World Environment Day in a whole new way because of an offer we simply could not refuse...

Deepak Nagrani and his friend, Neil, didn't approach us the usual way - with bags of secondhand clothing they wanted to donate to those who are less fortunate than they are. Instead, they had a twenty foot container full of new clothing and shoes that they chose to donate to a charity.

Deepak wrote to me:

We spend our daily work and social lives amongst some very fortunate people who, even though they would like to help, just don’t have the time to do so. It was from this thought that we decided to use some of our time and resources to make a difference for those less fortunate.

We thought it would be a nice change for less fortunate children to receive NEW shoes and clothing rather then the usual used and discarded ones that are constantly donated. I think children should be motivated and encouraged to have hope and inspiration and what better way is there than feeling that there are people out there that do care about and love them.

I know firsthand the joy I see in my own children when they receive gifts on their birthdays and Christmas, so what better way than to share this joy with hundreds of other children on my own 50th birthday. I could not ask for a better present then the happiness and smiles from all the children that will benefit from this – Deepak.

And that's not all! Deepak and Neil are both so enthusiastic that they plan to set up a foundation so that they can go on helping to provide new, not discarded, shoes and clothing.

Wouldn't it be wonderful if that sort of thinking caught on until the whole giving environment changed the world?!