Thrift or uncommon sense?

Do you remember your grandmother mending clothes, saving buttons, using dad’s singlets as cleaning cloths and never wasting leftovers?

Before reduce, reuse, recycle and repair became the four Rs, our parents and grandparents practised saving, reusing, hand-me-downs and sharing.

The Rotary Club of Flemington Kensington proudly promotes environmental practices through a range of efforts, and in particular, our op shop at 444 Racecourse Rd Flemington.  There, people donate quality clothing, household goods and collectables which our volunteers sell to customers at low cost. All profits then go to our charitable foundation which supports needy people and organisations in our local and international communities.

But that’s not all. Did you know that Rotary Donations in Kind in West Footscray receives quality second-hand hospital and medical equipment, school tables, chairs and stationery, books, computers, and new clothing for distribution to disadvantaged overseas communities? 
Our major hospitals donate hundreds of beds annually; schools contribute many hundreds of tables and chairs, dentists give us their out-of-date chairs, school uniform manufacturers give us their superseded uniforms. Communities in India, Timor Leste, the Pacific Islands, southeast Asia and Africa have better lives because of this generosity.

Additionally, Rotary supports emergency relief for families fleeing domestic violence, suffering loss of household goods due to fire, flood and refugees and migrants in need. At the bases in Melton and Brunswick, people in need are supported by a social welfare agency to obtain basic furniture, household goods and bedding free of charge from donated items.

So, reduce, reuse, recycle and repair is a cornerstone of Rotary work supporting and serving others.

Could you see yourself joining one of these amazing opportunities to make a difference? •