COS has proudly partnered with OutLine, an all-ages rainbow mental health organisation providing support and community to LGBTIQ+ New Zealanders, their whānau and friends.
From 20 April to 23 May 2021, COS stores nationwide will collect donations for OutLine. Donors will receive a Pride special edition tote bag for each offering made in-store of NZD 30 and above.
The tote is made from excess cotton unused by other designs, giving a new life to the leftover fabric. It’s durable, designed to last, and 100% recyclable.
To further inspire and extend support towards the rainbow community, COS invited three friends to share their personal accounts of the thought-provoking question “What does pride mean to you?”.
Here are their moving responses:
“Pride is about protest, agitation, and advocacy, it challenges institutions, people, and spaces. Pride is seeking out, creating, and most importantly caring for the community. It is creating a home together, a space to breathe, room to flourish and thrive, in a society that was not built with us in mind. Pride also contributes to other LGBTIQ+ peoples’ ability to thrive, knowing this does not diminish our own.”
Cam Yates (they/them), Staff Member of OutLine
“For me, pride has been about going back to my roots and educating my family, friends from my homeland, and even a stranger about the importance of appreciating love as not just one singular form – it can be mended into something unique to each being, their life, choices, and experiences.”
Sofiya Tymofeyeva, (she/her), Store Associate at COS Auckland
“Pride is the beautiful and honest journeys we all go through that lead to growth and healing. It is the allyship we have for one another, sharing our unique experiences that help shape and shift society and culture. That our stories will inspire and pave the way for future generations.”
Allister Tran (he/him), Visual Merchandiser at COS Auckland
Notably, the donations made at COS stores will subsidise rainbow specialist counselling sessions for those needing financial assistance and provide training and regular supervision for volunteer call takers.
The localised partnership between COS and OutLine is part of a larger scale global initiative in support of pride charities worldwide. Find out more about OutLine at outline.org.nz.
