September 2025 Newsletter

The weather is getting colder, but our team has been on fire this month!

Engagement Opportunities

Fall and Winter Clothing Donations

As the weather changes, we are focusing on collecting things that will keep people warm and dry. Think rain gear, warm clothing and even winter and snow gear. We have also have worked through our clothing donation backlog, and are now accepting weather appropriate women’s and children’s clothes again!

Check our Partner Wishlist to see what items we are currently accepting.

October Lunch and Learn for New and Existing Members

We are hosting an Online Lunch and Learn on October 8, 2025 at 12:00PM. This is an opportunity to learn more about Zharity and our open volunteering opportunities, and to have your questions answered. Whether you are an existing volunteer and/or verein member or are new to Zharity and want to learn more, we welcome you to join us. Click here to register.

Community Kit Making

Once again, Zharity is hosting a Community Kit Making. We will meet on the morning of Tuesday, November 13th at St. Anton’s Church to assemble 1000 hygiene kits that will benefit a local food bank. The old adage is that “many hands make light work” and we invite you to join us to do this important work and learn more about Zharity. Sign up HERE.

The Benefits of Verein Membership

Zharity is 100% volunteer run. That means that our members are driven by a passion for building community and helping people in need. We are a small but mighty force of 41 verein members and 12 team members. So far this year, we’ve distributed 102,000 items, including clothing, toys, strollers and prams, hygiene items, reusable pads, diapers and more, all with the help of our team. This coming year, we’re hoping to do even more, and we can, with your help.

So why make the jump to become a verein member?

Signing up to become a Zharity verein Member:

Supports Zharity’s work in the community and beyond
Gives you access to “verein-only” and “verein-first” events
Keeps you updated on what’s going on inside Zharity
Gives you voting rights, and a say in how Zharity is run
Embeds you in a diverse, supportive community of Zharity members

And we all know that verein membership looks good on your citizenship application.

Our verein only works when we have active and engaged volunteers to help support the work we do. We have many ideas for future projects, but we need help from you to make these projects happen. At Zharity, there is something for everyone - Please check out the many volunteer roles we currently have open - we would love to hear from you! And for those who are not yet Verein Members, please join us! You can sign up HERE.

Updates and Thank Yous

Diaper Kit Making Event

Last Friday, six Verein members came together for a meaningful cause during the Diaper Kit Making event at the unit! Thanks to the generosity of volunteer time and effort, we successfully assembled 300 diaper kits.

These kits are destined for 4-5 of our local Community Partners, and we know they will be thrilled to receive them. Each kit will go a long way in supporting struggling mothers and families in need. To read more about this event, check out this blog post.

Thank you, ICSZ Parents’ Association

Thank you to the ICSZ Parents’ Association and the whole ICSZ community for your generous donation and your commitment in helping those in need. The ICSZ community has supported us continually over the years to help efforts locally and internationally, and we’re incredibly grateful for their ongoing support. To read more about their contributions, check out this blog post.

Thank you, Aspen

The weather was perfect on September 17th for the clean-up with Aspen at Lake Zürich. Together, the team of 23 collected over 26 kilos of trash, with one team member collecting over 6 kilos!

Thank you to the entire Aspen team for helping to keep Lake Zürich clean and beautiful, and for your donation, which helps us continue our work in Zürich!

Pad Project Update

After another successful round of Pad Project Material Prep events, our sewers are back at their machines, turning all your hard work into pads for the Nicholas Robinson School in Ethiopia. Through your efforts, we’ve cut enough materials for 150 pads that will be sent to Ethiopia in November.

We still have one Material Prep event remaining on Sunday, October 26th. If you are interested, please sign up to join us.

Thank you to all our material preppers and sewers, to Luus Muus and Cafe Rumi for hosting our material prep events and to Katherine at Knit-Sew for hosting a few sewing events for us in her studio. With all of your help, more girls are able to stay in school during their periods, creating a more equitable learning environment by helping all students to succeed.

Thank you, ZIS Flow for Change Club

Last spring, the Flow for Change student club at Zurich International School (ZIS) created and donated around 45 pads to Zharity. Only founded this past year, the Flow for Change club was an initiative to raise awareness for period poverty and to de-stigmatize the shame that is often associated with menstruation. Period Poverty is when women do not have the access or means to obtain sanitary products.

The Flow for Change club fundraised with interactive bake sales, while also addressing student/faculty questions about Period Poverty. The students in the club then expanded their scope in order to make a tangible difference. While the US organization of Flow for Change raises funds to provide disposable pads for those in need, the student group was looking for longer-term solutions. The club then set out to create usable pads, which Zharity’s workshop had inspired them to do. The Flow for Change student club hopes to make an even bigger impact next year! We thank this amazing student organization, including their President, Gabriela Roane!

Some more events of note:

Nine Zharity Volunteers distributed over 1500 bottles of shampoo and over 1000 pads of feminine pads at Essen für Alle on September 20th. Essen für Alle is a weekly food bank operating in Manegg.
A Zharity team participated in the Rainbows 4 Children Charity Walk on September 20th and then manned an informational table about the Zharity Pad Project. Rainbows 4 Children is the organisation that supports the Nicolas Robinson School in Mekele, Ethiopia where our Zharity Pads are being sent, supporting girls at the school who might otherwise not have access to period products.

Increase the impact of your donation with Benevity!

Did you know that Zharity is listed as an approved non-profit organization with Benevity? What does this mean for you?

Volunteer Hours: If your company makes donations for your volunteer work, please log your Zharity volunteer hours with Benevity.
Donation Match: If your company offers donation matches, please make your Zharity donation payment through Benevity for maximum impact.

In other news…

Fri, Sep 26

Meet the Volunteer: Giada Varvello

Name: Giada Varvello

I’m originally from Milan, Italy. I moved to Zürich with my husband and daughter many years ago. I love people and change, I’m eager to learn new things and always appreciate givin

Fri, Sep 26

Volunteers Needed - We are looking for YOU!

Join our Zharity team and help us continue to grow. We are looking for several volunteers to help us and to be part of a dedicated team of Zharity. We require each of these volunteers to be Verein