Salvos Stores showcases its commitment to culture and diversity
BY LERISSE SMITH
Do you have a Japanese kimono hidden in your closet, a Chinese vase collecting dust, or a Mexican sombrero awaiting a new lease of life?
Then Salvos Stores would love to hear from you!
A groundbreaking initiative encouraging the public to donate multicultural items has been officially unveiled with the new Salvos Stores Multicultural Showcase launched at Melbourne’s Noble Park store.
Splashes of bright, colourful cultural outfits were the order of the day, coupled with a vast array of donated heritage and historical items testament to craftsmanship, stories and multinational traditions carried through many generations and bygone eras.
“The launch was a beautiful celebration of diversity,” said Leanne Wong, Relationship Manager of the Salvos Multicultural Community, who played a key role in initiating the launch event on 15 February.
“Every culture carries a unique story. Attendees joyfully shared their unique traditions, stories, and contributions. This fostered a vibrant and inclusive atmosphere that was both educational and uplifting. It served as a powerful engagement platform, as people from diverse cultural backgrounds came together to celebrate their heritage while gaining a deeper understanding of how their donations can bring hope to those in the community.”
The event drew about 120 attendees from 17 different cultures, marking the beginning of the initiative made possible through a collaboration between Salvos Stores and Salvos Community Fundraising team.
Together, they have successfully engaged multicultural communities, driving both donations and awareness to bring the first-ever Salvos Stores Multicultural Showcase to life.
Adding to the exciting project has been the inclusion of about 30 Multicultural Community Connectors who are championing the new venture.
Leanne said the passionate individuals played a crucial role in amplifying the showcase’s impact and extending its reach within their communities.
“Their involvement is essential in ensuring this initiative resonates with a broader audience to further strengthen the connection between The Salvation Army and multicultural communities,” Leanne said.
“This initiative has already attracted the interest of various cultural media and businesses, helping to broaden our reach and raise awareness among an even larger audience. With this strong foundation and growing enthusiasm generated by the launch, we plan to expand the Multicultural Showcase to other Salvos Stores.”
The Salvos Store Noble Park was chosen to launch the new venture due to its multiculturally diverse community, including the team of volunteers.
With plans for expansion to other stores, donations of goods sought for the multicultural showcases include clothing, accessories, footwear, handbags, hats, toys, tea sets, books, magazines, kitchenware, stationery, collectables, CDs and DVDs, artwork and furniture.
The idea for the new initiative originated when the Australia India Society of Victoria Secretary, Ruchi Sharma, reached out to Leanne, saying they had numerous cultural items but did not know what to do with them. It was then they asked if Salvos Stores would like to have a cultural space for them – and hence, the idea for the Multicultural Showcase was born.
Leanne joined forces with Salvos Stores Regional Managers Lorena Hutchings and Leigh Murphy to begin a conversation about the new project. She canvassed the idea with local cultural groups – all of whom expressed excitement about the new multicultural focus.
“They felt like it was a good way to treat their stuff nicely,” Leanne remarked. “And they could tell the story of the history of the items.”
The new initiative has also provided a great opportunity to tap into something new for Salvos Stores from a diversity, cultural and inclusivity perspective, says Lorena.
“I'm excited to see how it plays out,” she said.
“We have got a great opportunity to show people that we will give the garments and their product the respect it deserves. We are an inclusive culture, and everyone can either shop with us to purchase or donate to us."
Additionally, Lorena emphasised the importance of ensuring the public knew that all communities were welcome in Salvos Stores.
Click through the slideshow above for more photos.
She highlighted that Salvos wanted to celebrate the cultural celebrations of different groups and be involved in their activities, creating an inclusive environment where people could come together, share their traditions, and feel supported in a space that valued diversity.
“They are our community, and we want them to feel very welcome and included in the Salvos Stores,” she said.
“I would love to see more customers coming through as a result and potentially get more volunteers who work or are living within that community to come and share their time with us so we build that sort of community more locally. I think it would be a real bonus on the back of it (the showcase).”
“People will be more excited if they know their cultural donation can make a difference.”
Leigh agreed, remarking that the new showcase was a great initiative for the community, and the Salvos Stores team was excited about what was to come in the future.
“All our stores operate in their local communities, and a lot of our local communities are obviously very diverse,” Leigh said.
“This (the showcase) gives us a real opportunity to work a lot closer than what we do now with our local communities and to understand culturally what our communities are doing and where they are at. We like to work in unison across the country. So, whatever ideas we have in one region or one state, we certainly like to be sharing them across other regions and other states. I think it would be a wonderful opportunity in other states across the country.”
Looking to the future, it is hoped that the multicultural project will have the support and involvement of local corps, too.
Leanne believes it will be an ideal platform for the corps to connect with the community and discuss ways to assist others.
“People will be more excited if they know their cultural donation can make a difference,” she said.
“For them to know that their donation will support life-changing programs made possible by Salvos Stores and that together, we are creating a brighter future for individuals and the planet by addressing critical challenges in our community, such as providing aid for finances crises and natural disasters, tackling homelessness and domestic violence.”
For cultural item donations, please contact Leanne Wong, Relationship Manager Multicultural Community, at leanne.wong@salvationarmy.org.au. Here is the donation guide:
