Since the launch at the beginning of the year, the CLOTHESUP project of SB OverSeas has been picking up clothing donations from all around Brussels, as well as some Belgian towns, like Antwerp and Liege as well as villages.

We have already collected clothing from all 19 municipalities in Brussels. We’ve been lucky to be welcomed into your homes and that the Belgian community has continued to support us. We’ve begun to establish a bond of trust between the community and SB OverSeas, so much so that some have made donations several times.

While our lofty goal of sending 25 tons of donations to Lebanon was unfortunately not met by our deadline in April, we will still push to get to 25 in order to send the truck in a couple of months at the beginning of summer.

So we need your support!

Moving to a new city, or entering a new life stage?

Whether you’re moving to a new city or starting a new job, these changes will be reflected in your closet. It’s not practical to bring every single piece of clothing you own to your new home, so make use of this opportunity to declutter. Furthermore, if you’re moving from a colder to warmer climate, it’s the right time to donate those coats hanging in your closet.

Need ego boost before the start of summer?

Doing a good deed like donating your old clothes will make you feel good because you’re doing something for a worthy cause. You’re getting rid of the clutter in your home and helping others at the same time. Not only are you helping us support refugees in Lebanon, you are helping to reduce the amount of trash and waste in the world by recycling.

Nearly 100% of the textiles in your home can be recycled and donated, regardless of the quality or condition. This means you really have no reason not to donate your old clothes! It’s better for the environment, it helps families in need.

So how can you donate?

Watch the video above, or check out our website: www.sboverseas.org/clothesup where we have all the details on how to schedule a pick up.

What DO we accept?

• Any sort of clothes, both for winter and summer seasons, mainly for women and children, but also for men
• Underwear
• Bed sheets and blankets
• Shoes and socks
• Gloves, scarfs
• Soft or plush toys

What do we NOT accept? 

• Torn or dirty clothing items
• Furniture
• Electronic devices
• Plastic toys and toys with battery or functioning with electricity

If you’d like to donate these types of items, consider bringing them to your local Les Petits Riens.

For people who live in Waterloo, Wavre and Louvain la-Neuve as well as other nearby areas: we have another center to drop them off the addressee is VitàNet Sprl, Grand’Route 236, 1428 Lillois.

Read more about SB OverSeas and make a request for pick up!

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Its inauguration was attended by the Minister-President of the French Community Commission (‘COCOF’), Fadila Laanan, of Belgium’s Socialist Party (‘PS’).

The new shop is the largest in the clothes industry in Belgium, with 5,500 m² of commercial space. It also offers 48 check-out desks and 60 dressing rooms.

The company claims that the new store has created “some 400 jobs”.

“Belgium is an important market for Primark, where we have more than 2,000 colleagues. We look forward to continuing to be part of its community and selling our products here,” says Kevin Tulip, Primark’s Benelux brand director.

Primark, founded in 1969 in Ireland, is known for its low-cost clothing and accessories, but it is also the subject of much criticism for the origin of its products that are sold in its many stores across Europe. Many of its clothes and accessories are manufactured in Bangladesh, where workers are paid on average €80 per month.

The firm has defended itself in the past by saying that the low prices it offers are not purely a result of the low price of labour, but are also explained by the company’s relative lack of advertising and the purchasing of its products in bulk. It also claims to have “a high level of commitment” to improve the working conditions and wages of the manufacturers of its clothes.

The post Primark opens seventh Belgian store on the Chaussée d’Ixelles appeared first on Brussels Express.

From 11 am to 7pm, the Galeries Royales Saint-Hubert in front of the Vaudeville Theater will host this shining spectacle. Everyone can get their shoes shined for free, and Several « royal“ shoe shine chairs will welcome lovers of beautiful shoes.

There is also a raffle where participants can win high-quality tools for taking care of their shoes: cashmere brushes, cedar shoetrees, polish vouchers, totaling a value of €500.

“We want to introduce May 26 as the European Shoe Shine Day,” said Marcello Faraggi, event organiser and President of the European Shoe Shine Association. “It’s important to look after your shoes because they are the first business card of a person.”

And it’s not just voyeurs who are getting something, the professionals who have come from France, Italy, Germany, Belgium will compete to bring the best shine, and the winners will be honoured with Golden Brushes and €2,000; judging on technique/quality, customer service, and best entrepreneur.

This festival is part of a rejuvenation of the profession of shoe shining. They are hoping by showing the great skill and quality of the shiners; they will encourage people to take up the role once again and for people to visit these shoe shiners.

To get a free shoe shine, show up on the 26th in a pair of leather shoes and then sit back and let the professionals bring out their shine.

The post First European Shoe Shine Competition appeared first on Brussels Express.