Seconds to Give collect second hands goods in Australia and distribute them to people in need in the Philippines.

Seconds to Give was formed in 2005 in Melbourne (Australia). Its goal is to bring joy and to make a positive difference to people in need – both within Australia and internationally.

Seconds to Give is run and resourced entirely by volunteers. All funds raised go directly to our activities.

How we got founded

In September 2005, Victor Guthrie’s father passed away. His father had been cared for by local villagers in the Philippines and he decided he wanted to do something to thank them. In the past when he had returned to the Philippines from Australia to visit his father, he had always taken unwanted clothing to his relatives. It always amazed him how much joy these small items brought. So he decided that he would collect second-hand clothing from friends and take them over to the Philippines to share with the residents of the village where his father used to live.

What started as an email to some friends rapidly gained momentum and on 10 December 2005, Victor distributed 485 kilograms of second hand clothing to 389 villagers. A great result for a 3 month project! This was how Seconds to Give came to formed in 2005, with the aim of bringing joy and making a positive difference to the lives of people in need.