If you have a TV, radio or internet access, chances are you are now overly familiar with the term Black Friday – the day heralded by retailers as the start of the Christmas shopping period, marked by an abundance of discounts. Heck, perhaps you even decided to brave the mayhem and nabbed yourself a bargain or two.
But have you heard of Giving Tuesday? Set up in the UK in 2014 as an antidote to the frenzied shopping madness, it’s a day when you’re invited to ‘do good stuff for charity’, by supporting your favourite not-for-profit cause (*ahem*… hi there!).
Now, we appreciate we have some of the best supporters out there (yes, you), who already know that donating cash for phone credit makes you feel ALL the good feels. But in the spirit of the day (27th November, in case you’re wondering), we thought we’d list six reasons why Giving Tuesday is better than Black Friday…
You don’t have to leave your house
Didn’t fancy braving the increasingly wintry weather, battling for a parking space and queuing for hours with countless others, desperate to get first dibs on that ‘must-have’ bargain? Good news! On Giving Tuesday, you don’t even have to set foot out of your front door*. Simply pour yourself a cuppa while still in your PJs, put your feet up and head on over to MyDonate online. Job done.
(*You might still have to go to work. It is Tuesday, after all. Sorry about that.)
There’s no chance you might end up in A&E
We’ve all seen the Black Friday footage. Wowzers, it can get ‘heated’ out there. So, if ending up with a broken toe amidst a stampede of frantic shoppers was simply NOT your thing, Giving Tuesday could be right up your street.
You won’t find yourself with a room full of stuff you don’t need
Ever gone out for ‘just the essentials’ and ended up back home two hours later armed with two pairs of new shoes, a cuddly toy, three house plants and a mountain of scented candles? This is a common side effect of Black Friday. But Giving Tuesday? Not so much. Simply donate to your favourite worthwhile cause (*waves hello*) and retain that lovely minimalistic look at home.
Giving makes you happy
You can’t argue with science, people. According to researchers, altruistic behaviour promotes the release of endorphins (the ‘feel good’ hormone) in the body, leaving you with that warm, fuzzy glow. So if you’d like to donate, we’re not going to stop you… it will make you feel good. And we like you.
Donating makes a BIG difference
Now for the serious bit: phone credit saves lives, and connects vulnerable refugees and displaced people with their loved ones. Every top-up we are able to make helps to make someone’s life that little bit easier. But we can’t do it without your support. We appreciate each and every one of you who helps us out - and so do our refugee friends.
It’s not all about cash
Hell no! It’s also about solidarity and saying nice things. So please, even if you don’t have the funds to donate right now, there’s still loads you can do to help us. Like our Facebook posts, retweet us on Twitter (double points for including our hashtag, #WeAreAllConnected) or pop over to Instagram to give us a follow.
As ever, thank you for being here with us.
With love,
The Phone Credit for Refugees team