Top 4 Ways You Can Make a Positive Social Change in Melbourne

Top 4 Ways You Can Make a Positive Social Change in Melbourne

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Posted 2012-05-09 by Catherine Willsfollow
If you're a local of the areas surrounding Melbourne, you might find yourself coming into the city regularly on the weekends. A typical day in the city might include catching up with friends, indulging in retail therapy, seeing some new sights, or taking the family on an outing. Now, there is nothing wrong with this. But do you ever stop and think about how a day in the city could make a difference to someone else's life?

Instead of coming into the city with purely self-serving intentions, why not try doing something different and brighten up the day of a stranger.

Here are a few suggestions for how you can make a positive difference.

1) - Visit a Salvation Army Opportunity Shop . The Salvos op shops are scattered all around Melbourne city, including one right in the city centre on 69 Bourke Street. Check out this map for more stores in surrounding suburbs. So what's the best thing about an op shop? It's hard to toss up between the bargains on the clothes rack and the hidden treasures in the bric-a-bac section. No doubt you'll find something to please you without spending a fortune here. But knowing that the money goes to support the Salvation Army and the incredible work they do for the disadvantaged - well, that has to be a heart-warming bonus!

2) - Buy your next coffee or snack from a Streat van. The clever name refers to homelessness on the streets of Melbourne, and stopping this by selling food. Streat essentially aims to assist youth on the streets by providing them with industry training and employment opportunities in making and selling the food for Streat. In turn, customers are offered cost-effective meals and quality coffee, and the money goes to supporting homeless youth. What a scrumptious circle of goodness to benefit all involved! The Streat food carts can be found at various locations around the city, click here for more information.



3) - Purchase a copy of The Big Issue from a street vendor. These magazines are filled with quality writing and content about issues relevant to politics, society, and life in general. The notion behind The Big Issue is to "help people help themselves". The vendors who sell the magazine come from all walks of life and have suffered some form of disadvantage. Selling The Big Issue empowers these people in a number of ways, including providing an employment opportunity and building confidence in social skills. Also, a large portion of the profits made by the vendor go straight back into the pocket which provides an important source of income. So you can feel safe knowing that the $5 you give to purchase a magazine will be directly helping the person who served you. Vendors are all around the city so next time you see one, don't ignore them, help them instead.



4) - Have you donated blood before? Have you even considered it? With a national shortage in supplies, the need to donate blood is extremely high. The Australian Red Cross centre on level 2, 360 Bourke Street is open on Saturday from 9-12.30, as well as during the week. Granted, this one is a bit tricky for a lot of people. Make sure you read up to see if you're eligible to donate and plan in advice if you wish to donate. Ensure you drink lots of fluids and eat plenty prior to donating, and take it easy for the rest of the day. If you're able to, it isn't too much hassle to book an appointment. After all, saving three lives with every donation is worth it.

#community_centres
#volunteering
#city
#lists
%wnmelbourne
177714 - 2023-06-15 19:09:25

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