December’s Community Champion is Givit, a charity that connects those who have with those who need, by the simple act of giving. Givit operates like a match-making service, linking up generous donors with genuine need. Charities can request specific items through Givit, who then matches these requests with items donated by members of the public.
You can see exactly what is needed, which maximises the impact of gift giving. It also reduces waste by diverting reusable items from landfill to help people.
In Reconnected: A Community Builder's Handbook, Nick Terrell and I profile Givit and its founder Juliette Wright. We discuss how the organisation has over a decade developed into a nationwide charity that has facilitated the gifting of over 2,500,000 items to people in need.
In Canberra, Givit and Northside Community Services set up a bike library at the Margaret Hendry School. The bike library functions like any other library – just with bikes instead of books. It empowers those who otherwise don’t have access to a bike to take advantage of the benefits that come with riding.
According to the Givit website, there are over 61,000 items needed right now. For example, right now Givit is looking for blankets, washing machines, grocery and clothes vouchers, various furniture pieces, and more. If you have an item you’d like to donate that isn’t currently listed on the website, you can also list your donation by clicking the ‘donate items’.