This photo appeared in the Shepperton News with the caption: The ladies of Soroptimist International of Shepparton on the first day of their Giant Charity Garage Sale. Photo by Rechelle Zammit

When people move house, declutter or upgrade their household goods, they want to dispose of their old goods, even though they are still functioning and could be reused by others. SI Shepparton advertised in local papers and radios stations about the events ($320). SI Shepparton identified that by collecting these goods and making them available to both community groups and the general public, a significant amount of resources are reused, recycled and prevented from going into landfill.

SDG12 (Responsible Consumption)  target 12.5   

100 women and 100 girls helped.

From early 2024 SI Shepparton collected and stored goods from deceased estates, people who are downsizing and/or decluttering their homes. They hired storage sheds at a cost of $195 per month. Prior to holding the garage sales, members would sort and clean goods as necessary. For two weeks in June and again in October, SI Shepparton then held mega garage sale. Goods were made available to various community groups as well as the general public. This prevented these goods including furniture, homewares, books, toys and clothing from going to landfill. Shepparton Harness Club made their reception rooms available for modest rent for the duration of the garage sales ($500).  They had 18 people rostered during the garage sales (8 hours a day for six days in June and October 2024) plus 2 people collecting, sorting and cleaning donated goods for at least one day a week for ten months making a total of 448 hours covered by members for this project.  A mighty effort SI Shepparton.

The Afghan Women’s Organisation of Victoria (AWOV) have set up a volleyball team for junior girls from local Afghan families to join a local competition. The team was due to start their games in Dandenong in May and they needed sports tops with their name and number on them.

SI Melba members felt it was important for the girls to be able to participate wearing similar sports gear to the other teams so a decision was endorsed by all members to cover the cost of the tops for the team and coaches. SI Melba presented them with their sports tops and watched them play, building on friendships, community and teamwork.

In celebration of UN Environment Day, Soroptimist International Region of Malaysia (SIROM) together with  Heineken Malaysia, Sokong by Malaysiakini, hosted Sustainability Day 2025 at GCC Farm, Bentong. The event promoted eco-friendly practices through hands-on workshops on aquaponics farming and organic composting - practical, low-carbon solutions to food security and environmental challenges.

Aligned with the UN Environment Day theme “Our Land. Our Future. We Are #GenerationRestoration,” the initiative brought together community members, environmental advocates, and volunteers to inspire sustainable living.

Participants engaged in hands-on workshops, educational demonstrations, and community dialogues, making it a meaningful day of learning, collaboration, and action. This effort reflects the spirit of the 2025 UN Environment Day theme:

“Our Land. Our Future. We Are #GenerationRestoration.”

“Sustainability Day is about more than awareness—it’s about action,” said Rebecca Lai, President of SIROM. “Aquaponics and composting provide scalable, low-carbon impact solutions to food waste, water conservation, and urban farming challenges. These practices demonstrate how communities can take charge of their own sustainability.”