Kia ora,
On Saturday 21st October, Kiwis donated 56,000kgs of clothing through the Uber x Red Cross Clothing Drive, tapping into the $3.1bn- of unused clothes in Kiwis’ wardrobes. This was an almost tenfold increase on the 6,000kg target set by New Zealand Red Cross.
The Clothing Drive aimed to help Kiwis donate quality clothing direct from their doorstep to Red Cross Shops in Auckland, Wellington, and Christchurch for free.
Red Cross and Uber were astonished by the generous response from Kiwis, with over 4,000 Uber Package trips throughout the day – more than Australia saw countrywide last year.
Uber General Manager New Zealand, Emma Foley said the flow of Uber Package Deliveries were non-stop from just after 9am on Saturday.
“The success of the Clothing Drive was unbelievable. Our ‘Cost of Giving’ research had indicated that 97% of Kiwis have clothes and shoes in their wardrobes that could be donated. It was fantastic to see the power of our technology make it so easy for Kiwis to donate direct from their doorstep for free.”
The donated pre-loved clothing is now being sorted by New Zealand Red Cross and will then be sold at Red Cross Shops. Funds raised from the sale of clothing will fund critical mahi to improve the lives of vulnerable people in Aotearoa New Zealand, and overseas.
New Zealand Red Cross General Manager Enterprise and Engagement, Shane Chisholm reflects on the success of the Clothing Drive and says, “We’re absolutely blown away by the number of Kiwis who donated so generously. The response was far greater than we could have ever anticipated – having to arrange additional pickup trucks for the donations on the day was a great problem to have! We want to thank Uber, its drivers, our volunteers, and the donors who made the Clothing Drive successful. The donations will be used to continue to support Kiwis and communities across the country and for that we are deeply grateful.”
Uber General Manager New Zealand, Emma Foley is available for interviews if you wish to speak to her about the success of the Uber x Red Cross Clothing Drive.
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