Vaal Mall shoppers have answered the call to donate pre-loved denim clothing to keep the most vulnerable in its community warm this winter, opening their hearts and their wardrobes and giving generously. With its “Denims for a Mile” campaign, the mall was surprised and delighted as it was blessed with a whopping 388 pairs of jeans.
The pre-loved denim is now re-loved denim, keeping children and adults warm and comfortable. The jeans were given to those who needed them most, including 55 pairs donated to Polokong Children’s Village in Sebokeng, 10 to Vereeniging Lions Club for families in need, and 27 to Rotary Club of Vanderbijlpark for families in need as well as an orphanage.
The remaining denims were distributed at a soup kitchen held at the St. Bonaventure Skills Centre in Barrage, together with Rotary Club of Riverside. Debonairs Vaal Mall sponsored freshly baked “dough-nation” buns, and Rotary provided the soup.
Vaal Mall collected unwanted denim clothing during the month of April in order to pass it on to a new wearer before the start of winter. The great thing about denim is that it is made to last, versatile, durable, and does a great job of keeping its wearer warm. Plus, people love wearing jeans.
In doing their bit for those in need this winter, Vaal Mall and its kind-hearted denim donors are also caring for the environment. By finding a great way for these clothes to be reused rather than discarded when decluttering, they have not only given their denims a new wearer but a new life. Making a single pair of jeans is calculated to use around 1kg of cotton, which takes around 10,000 litres of water to produce – enough drinking water for one person for a decade. So, extending the use of 388 pairs of jeans has enormous carbon offset benefits and environmental sustainability advantages too.
“We are grateful to everyone who gave their gently-used denim for this good cause. The generosity of all our socially and environmentally sensitive shoppers is amazing and humbling. They have shown that together we can care for our community and our environment. You can be assured that their donations have made a difference and are enjoying being reused. Thank you for the incredible impact you have made!” says Carla de Villiers-Malan, Vaal Mall Regional Marketing Manager.
