Bringing a smile to hurting people

Grinning and smiling usually means we’re happy, right? Maybe not always. Sometimes, bad things happen to good people, and they’re left facing loss, devastation, and, even worse, no hope or drive to keep going.

This was the case earlier in 2023 when parts of New Zealand were wracked by Cyclone Gabrielle and unusual weather events that led to flooding and widespread damage. These people lost their homes, possessions, and often their livelihoods as well. They became refugees in their own country.

The New Zealand Red Cross came to the fore. They are “good people doing good things” for those in need. They have a number of disaster relief teams throughout the country, ready to respond quickly to situations of need—like flooding. Red Cross was there to work with other agencies to provide practical and emotional support to needy folk in our communities during the recent flooding events.

But Red Cross needs assistance to do the work they do, especially with their large band of volunteers, so they rely on the generosity of others, like Grin Natural. Grin Natural paid-it-forward $88 to the Red Cross Disaster Appeal fund. Being a New Zealand company, Grin Natural wanted to not only help meet needs in the community but also to offer a hope and a better future to those afflicted by loss.

Grin Natural is a New Zealand-based company that specialises in natural oral products like toothpaste and toothbrushes. Being natural, their toothpastes do not contain any should-not-be-there ingredients, and their toothbrushes and flossers are all biodegradable, meaning they can be thrown into the compost where they will eventually decompose. Now, all that natural goodness is bound to put a smile on your dial! The company is based in Auckland, but you can buy Grin Natural products online—and add a little to the pay-it-forwards when you do.

‍