Local residents will have the chance to step inside the world of international disaster relief later this month when the Rotary Club of Springwood hosts its Monster Garage Sale.
The annual event is a major community fundraiser, supporting projects locally and around the globe.
Alongside thousands of items for sale, including vintage and antique pieces, books, clothing, plants, toys, tools, household goods and homemade preserves, visitors will be able to explore how the charity ShelterBox supports families who have lost their homes to disaster.
ShelterBox was founded by a Rotary club, and Rotary remains central to its mission today. The Rotary Club of Springwood is an active supporter of the charity’s work, with its donations to ShelterBox funding support like family tents, shelter kits and essential items like mosquito nets, blankets, solar lights, and kitchen sets to people after earthquakes, conflicts, tropical storms, and other disasters.
ShelterBox Australia volunteers will host a full ShelterBox disaster relief display, showcasing the emergency shelter and essential household items used to support families after crises.
ShelterBox volunteer Al Kellaway said: “People often hear about disasters on the news, but they rarely get to see what emergency shelter actually looks like or how it reaches families in need.
“This garage sale is a chance for our community to learn, ask questions, and be part of something that makes a real difference.”
Visitors will be able to get hands on with ShelterBox's kit, hear how aid is delivered, and get updates from recent international responses.
ShelterBox is currently supporting families displaced by flash floods in Nepal with Rotary and local partners. The charity has a response team in Kathmandu distributing tarpaulins sleeping mats, rope, and pillows to support thousands of people. They’re also distributing family tents and solar lights to families in some of the hardest to reach, mountainous areas.
The Monster Garage Sale will take place on Saturday 24 October, from 9am to 1pm, at Buckland Aged Care Services. Funds raised will support Rotary’s local initiatives in the Blue Mountains as well as international projects like ShelterBox.
As well as the flash floods in Nepal, ShelterBox is supporting families displaced by the earthquakes in the Philippines and Venezuela. The charity is also responding to the world’s most neglected displacement crises, supporting people with shelter and other essential items in Cameroon, Ethiopia, Mozambique, and Burkina Faso.
To learn more about ShelterBox Australia and its work around the world, visit shelterboxaustralia.org.au.
