Give a Damn – Give a Can

Give a Damn – Give a Can is an annual appeal and signature project of the Rotary Club of Traralgon Central, which aids the St Vincent de Paul Society. The appeal is organised by club members and has been running since 1992.

Since its inception, club members have collected more than 240,000 cans of tinned food. The appeal has become well known and accepted in the Latrobe Valley, with the very distinctive red collection bins recognisable throughout the community.

The 2021 appeal ran in the last week of May and more than 8,000 cans were collected. Traralgon Central club members picked up tins from local homes as well as the collection bins, then stacked the shelves at the St Vincent de Paul Headquarters. The donated cans were used to fill much needed winter food parcels.

Schools and local businesses were the main contributors, with many individuals and community groups donating. Last year, an amusing incident received publicity and many witty comments. With recycling such a hot topic in recent times, one well-meaning local dropped two very large black garbage bags full of empty cans to the collection bin in front of the home of one of the club members, who was left to dispose of the ‘empties’.