A Very GIVIT Christmas: could this be Canberra’s Biggest Secret Santa?

Posted on 6 November, 2020

It’s beginning to feel a lot like Christmas.

And a very exciting collaboration between GIVIT and Handmade Canberra is creating an opportunity for the Canberra community to get into the Christmas spirit early.

How? By supporting both small-businesses who have lost income due to COVID-19 and bushfire affected communities through A Very GIVIT Christmas.

If you haven’t heard about GIVIT, it’s a not-for-profit organisation supporting vulnerable people and communities across Australia that started in Brisbane eleven years ago by Juliette Wright OAM. Some of the people who received support from GIVIT have faced adverse circumstances such as drought, domestic and family violence, homelessness, disability, and mental health.

GIVIT’s amazing work has seen Regional Manager Caroline Odgers named a Westfield Local Heroes 2020 finalist.

Now GIVIT has teamed up with the beloved Handmade Canberra to make giving even better—by supporting small business and brightening the year of bushfire affected communities.

Taking part is super simple. Big-hearted donors can purchase a gift starting at $20 from Handmade Canberra’s A Very GIVIT Christmas directory. This will then be packaged and sent straight to a well-deserving family in these bushfire affected communities that are trying to rebuild after a devastating year.

GIVIT’s Caroline Odgers.

Through this appeal and with the help of Handmade Canberra, Caroline and her team have been working hard to ensure that the Christmas spirit is still felt by all families.

“This year, thousands of households across the South-East NSW region who have felt the brunt of the bushfires and COVID-19 will be gifted thoughtful, Australian made, sustainable, quality presents,” she says.

“It’s exciting to think this could be the biggest ever secret Santa with almost 15,000 Canberran’s already signed up to the Appeal.”

As for which gifts you can choose, there are approximately 120 makers and over 1200 products to select from—including speciality coffee beans from the South Coast’s Guerrilla Roasters.

Guerrilla Roasters has been roasting speciality coffee in picturesque Moruya since 2018 and were sadly impacted by the Black Summer bushfires in early 2020.

“Not so long ago we couldn’t even access our coffee roastery due to fire and road closures”, says Handmade stallholder and Head of Guerrilla Roasters’ Sales, Aymee Wise.

“But thanks to the nationwide compassion shown to our little business we are getting back on our feet and are stoked to be a part of the contactless Christmas Appeal.”

Guerrilla Roasters’ Aymee Wise.

Taking part in A Very GIVIT Christmas may seem like a small gesture but Aymee believes that “giving the gift of coffee is really about giving the gift of a chat and connection with a loved one—which is the best gift of all”.

Other products that can be purchased include organic handmade products from BASE Soaps, beautiful Australian art prints from Breezy Bird Studio and delicious treats from vendors such as Cookies & Co, Daisy Cakes and Bakes, Moreish Menu and Mumma Made.

This appeal has great financial flow-on effects as many of the 120 stallholders are also from fire-affected regions.

The initiative is completely countless and all you have to do is head online and select a gift from the directory. A Very GIVIT Christmas runs until 24 December 2020.

To make sure your gift gets there in time for Christmas morning head to handmadecanberra.com.au/givit and place your order by 24 December 2020.