Celebrated model Shanina Shaik is passionate about fashion and how quality donations can support child rights
International runway model, beauty entrepreneur, and wellness podcaster, Shanina Shaik has a stellar resume. Now she has added the role of Official Ambassador for Australia’s leading child rights organisation, Save the Children.
Through the partnership, Shanina will use her profile to help promote the rights of children in Australia and around the world. Shanina is deeply committed to the work of Save the Children in creating a brighter world in which all children can thrive.
Growing up in Australia, then travelling the world for her work as a model, Shanina has always been passionate about children’s needs, and after the birth of her son Zai, the desire to do something meaningful in the area of children’s rights grew. She shared, “It’s important to me to work with an organisation that is close to my heart, and working with Save the Children Australia is important to me because I believe that charity begins at home.”
“As an ambassador for Save the Children, I hope to use my platform to amplify …awareness of the work Save the Children does. Also, to talk about the simple act of giving… the importance of changing children’s lives with something that’s as simple as giving.”
Her first project with Save the Children began with a visit to one of our Op Shops. As Shanina explained, the visit was a step towards being “a voice to drive people to the simple act of giving. Donations can do so much and change a child’s life completely.”
Donating quality clothes and items to our Op Shops is a great way to support children in need, because the profits from our retail stores go to support Save the Children Australia’s health, education, protection and emergency support programs for children in Australia and around the world.
However, it’s important to recognise that not all donations help. In fact, some types of donations can result in a cost burden to an organisation.
If you wouldn’t give to a friend, don’t donate it to a charity
When you’re donating your pre-loved items, make sure they are clean and in good condition. A simple rule of thumb to follow is, if you wouldn’t give to a friend, don’t donate it to a charity.
8 tips to Donating to our Op Shops
- Call ahead to make sure your local store can accept your items.
- Make sure items are clean before dropping them off.
- Donate items to our friendly volunteers during store opening hours.
- Donate items you’d be happy to give to a friend.
- Check if the store accepts furniture or large items.
- Contact your local council to recycle items we can't accept.
- Encourage friends and family to donate.
- Check out our guide to what we can and can't accept here.
During her visit to our Op Shop, Shanina donated some quality clothing of her own, chatted with some our friendly volunteers, and took a look at some of the classic clothing on offer in store, putting our motto of reuse, repurpose and recycle into practice.
On a recent visit home to Australia, Los Angeles-based Shanina visited a Save the Children Op Shop
to donate some of her own clothing and check out the quality items on sale.
Ultimately, Shanina wants to help make the world a better place for her son and other children to grow up in. She shared, “I would love my child to live in a world where he has equal opportunities for success, and be happy, healthy and safe, and I hope every child has that opportunity for their future.”
We’re over the moon to be working with Shanina and can’t wait to see the genuine and positive impact this relationship will bring.