I don’t know about you, but I felt like winter might never end this year – it seemed to be a long one! Finally, however, the sun is peeking through the clouds, the flowers are starting to blossom and there is a sense of renewal and hope in the air – it’s Spring!
And with Spring comes the inevitable ‘spring clean’. It’s a great time for a clear out – getting ready for a new year and, if needed, a new start.
And at Geelong Mums we can help with both the clear out and the new start. For you, we will be happy to take your pre-loved baby items off your hands. For the families we support, with your help we can give that sense of hope and a new start, by providing them with everything they need for their new baby or for a child in desperate need.
So far this year, across Geelong, St Kilda and Eureka Mums, we’ve rehomed a staggering $2.5M dollars worth of items – thanks to you, our incredible supporters and donors.
From cots to prams, car seats to high chairs, clothes to linen, shoes to toys – these items are now where they belong, in the hands of the babies and children who need them the most.
And don’t worry, if you don’t have baby items to clear out – we still need your help with a financial donation – a donation that will REALLY make an impact.
As we head into the festive season demand for essential items will increase and so will the number of orders we receive. Every dollar donated will help us meet this demand – so I really hope I can rely on your incredible continued support by donating to our Festive Appeal. Keep an eye on your inbox in November for details of how to give the best gift you possibly can to a child in need.
Thank you – and I hope this time of renewal is as kind to you, as you are to us.
Warm regards
Ruth Holdaway MBE
Chief Executive Officer
Sylvia is a Refugee Health Nurse working for Western Health. She recently collected a car full of orders from Geelong Mums, for three of the families she is supporting. All migrant families, one was from Iraq, one from Afghanistan and one from Pakistan – all with different reasons for needing to start a new life in Australia. In total, 14 children received bed linen, blankets, clothing and car seats. We were proud to support the wonderful work Sylvia is doing to help these children to settle into their new Australian life.
We have social workers and nurses like Sylvia collecting items from our warehouse every day. In any given week, we can have up to 180 social workers collect items for babies and children in need.
We are only able to do this because of you – our generous supporters. Whether you donate preloved items, money or your time as a volunteer, we are so grateful for your help, which means we can continue to do this life-changing work.
Each week we welcome teams from a range of businesses to join us for a day of volunteering in our South Geelong warehouse.
The feedback we continually receive is that a day with Geelong Mums is the best team-building experience they have participated in. The tasks are fun and engaging and our corporate volunteers love that their day’s work adds real value to the community.
If this sounds like something you and your team might enjoy, activities can include packing beautiful clothes, cleaning prams or car seats for a newborn baby or putting together toy or book packs for kids who would otherwise go without.
If you’re looking for a fun way to get your team together in the lead up to the festive season or to start the new year, a day of corporate volunteering can provide a truly special experience.
Spots are filling up for the remainder of the year, so sign up quick if you don’t want to miss out – we’d love to have your team join us. Visit our website for more information.
Photo: Sandra & Anthony from Lucerne Investment Partners with Kara our Fundraising Relationships Manager
Earlier this year, The Lucerne Investment Partners Charity Golf Day was held at the beautiful Huntingdale Golf Club – with Geelong Mums as the recipient charity for all funds raised.
The weather was perfect, the food delicious and the participants were incredibly generous. A big thank you to volunteer Silvana, for choosing Geelong Mums and for all her hard work to make the day a success. Thanks also to Anthony, Sandy, and the team at Lucerne Investment Partners for the money raised – a whopping $65,000!
It was a fabulous day and a significant contribution to helping us continue our operations to help families in need.
Photo: The Anthony Costa Foundation team and families at the
South Geelong Warehouse.
The Anthony Costa Foundation is a Geelong-based family foundation that seeks to make a positive impact in the communities where the Costa families live and work.
Earlier this year we entered into an incredibly generous multi-year, million dollar funding agreement with the Foundation. This ensures we can continue to provide our critical service to vulnerable babies and children, across the state of Victoria.
In addition, the family and team from the Foundation spent a day volunteering in our warehouse in South Geelong. This is a fabulous hands-on-experience, in which any members of our community can participate, and underpins the depth of the commitment of the Anthony and Elaine Costa and Robert and Rita Costa families to support those in need in our community. We are extremely thankful to all members of these families for their ongoing support.
Our Festive Appeal is on now and we are aiming to raise $250,000 across the organisation. This will allow us to continue helping the thousands of babies and children that need us. Please give a gift that really counts. Donate now.
Both our Geelong and Clayton warehouses will be closed on the following dates:
Saturday 16 December Last day for Goods Donations
Thursday 20 December Last day for volunteers in our warehouses
Friday 22 December Last day for Social Workers to place or pick up orders
Saturday 23 December - Tuesday 2 January Warehouses closed for the holidays
Tuesday 9 January we REOPEN to Volunteers, Goods Donations and Social Workers
Giving and receiving gifts creates a moment of connection.
This moment is only amplified when it is unexpected or from someone you don’t know personally. The essentials that we rehome and gift from St Kilda Mums, Geelong Mums and Eureka Mums exist because of you, our wonderful supporters.
Families who need a bit of extra support are often linked to multiple professionals or agencies, and when this important support is complemented with a gift for their children, it’s a catalyst for connection. We are incredibly proud to support maternal child health nurses, social workers and practitioners’ professional impact so that vulnerable Victorian children can thrive.
I recently received a gorgeous long letter and I wanted to share some amazing excerpts with you. *identifying information has been edited for privacy purposes*
‘Pam’ has retired and been volunteering at a regional Victorian hospital for a number of years. In recent months, the social work team has requested items from us for new families and children in their care. Pam takes great delight and enjoyment delivering these essentials to the babies and children.
“I just felt I needed to write to you and say that volunteering with our local social worker on this particular project is the best thing I’ve done in my life and I am so grateful to her and your organisation for allowing me to have the delightful task of making so many families very happy and relieving them of a lot of stress and worry.
“We cover a very large area with a number of our families living in smaller towns and on farms. Some of them are quite isolated in more ways than one.
“It’s a real surprise when we have produced your beautifully presented clothes, bassinet sets etc. They had thought we were going to produce maybe a couple of little outfits for their new baby and it was wonderful to see their faces when they saw the parcels.
“A first-time Dad was struggling with providing some of the basic items and was having ‘heart palpitations’ thinking about buying the larger items. We were able to gift him and his wife a beautiful pram and he was quite overcome when he saw it.
“Another mum came in to see us with her new baby and her other three children. We were able to give her clothes for them all and her 5 year old daughter was so happy with a pair of runners that she sat down and put them on straight away with a big smile on her face.”
The connection created by giving and receiving is the fuel that drives us to ensure we fulfill our vision of supporting every child in Victoria that needs us by 2030.
From us all at St Kilda, Geelong and Eureka Mums, thank you so much for your incredible support.
Warm regards,
Tamara Maddrell
Senior Outbound Operations & Networks Manager
The best start in life – that’s our jam.
Babies require so much of their parents and caregivers. The stress parents feel if they are unable to provide the essential items for their child to thrive is extraordinary.
As the Senior Operations & Networks Manager at St Kilda Mums, Geelong Mums and Eureka Mums, I lead a team of fabulous staff who ensure our charity rehomes essentials to give kids the best start in life. The first 2000 days of a child’s life shapes a child's future and we are committed to sharing resources with families who need our support.
I want to share with you a story about a mum who recently arrived from Afghanistan with her 12 month old without any belongings. Not only was she learning how to navigate an Australian life, she was ensuring her child had access to the health services she needed. The solution lay in a re-homed pram from us. This pram provided the perfect tool for her to learn public transport, sit in waiting rooms and shop for food with her child. Her everyday experience was mirrored back to her with other parents with their child in their pram living the same experiences. A feeling of inclusion lay at the heart of the gift of this pram.
All of the families we support are linked to an agency or support service such as a maternal child health nurse and we take great pride in complementing their programs that place the child at the centre of their approach. These professionals are skilled advocates and value our service enormously.
Over recent years, Melbourne has become home for many refugees and asylum seekers who arrive with nothing. AMES, Dandenong City Council, Spectrum, South East Links, IPC are all agencies who collectively have supported hundreds of new families arriving into Melbourne and regional Victoria.
Last year, 4,579 newly arrived children were supported by St Kilda Mums, Geelong Mums and Eureka Mums. Many of these orders included 10 or more items and would cost $800 - $1200 to purchase as new for these families. Things like nappies, wipes, bottles, a safe place to sleep, warm clothes, bed linen, car seats, books, toys and prams are all provided along with the gamechanger – the pram.
And it was all thanks to people like you. Your ongoing support is so important. Whether you donate goods, donate money or donate your time to volunteer, your generosity means we can continue to help give babies the best start in life.
From us all at St Kilda, Geelong and Eureka Mums, thank you so much for your incredible support.
Warm regards,
Tamara Maddrell
Senior Outbound Operations & Networks Manager
Warm regards,
Tamara Maddrell
Senior Outbound Operations & Networks Manager
From raising funds and recruiting volunteers to receiving your gently loved baby goods and turning them into gifts for vulnerable Victorian babies and children, there are many moving parts to our organisation. When we look at the numbers and understand the sheer scale and reach of our service across Victoria, it paints a powerful picture of the difference you make by supporting and enabling our work.
Each year we produce this detailed 'impact tree', which shows key measures of the difference you make. The tree shows the collective impact of St Kilda Mums, Geelong Mums and Eureka Mums - we are one organisation, with the goal of reaching every Victorian child up to the age of six who needs our help. Please click on the image to take a closer look.
For many families, it’s incredibly hard to face a winter without the essentials needed for their new baby's arrival. With the rising cost of living, it is difficult for many of us make ends meet. This is compounded if you are not securely housed, perhaps don't have access to Medicare or work rights or are trying to rebuild after experiencing family violence. This is where, with our community's support - you - we can ensure new babies have everything they need for winter, including a safe and warm place to sleep and travel.
Lisa, Homelessness Service Manager at The Salvation Army shares the impact of your generosity...
“I contacted Geelong Mums on behalf of a client who was due to have her baby within a week. From the moment I reached out to Geelong Mums, I was met with warmth, compassion, and a genuine desire to help. The impact Geelong Mums has on the lives of families cannot be overstated - by providing essential items, not only for babies but also for mums.
We received items such as a bassinet, a pram, a car seat, a baby carrier, a bath, baby bottles, a bouncer, items for mum, change mat, formula, nappies, baby bag, baby bottles, toiletries pack, toys, baby wipes, 2 bundles of clothes and a linen pack.
Geelong Mums alleviates the financial burden on struggling parents and creates a sense of dignity and hope.
To the team at Geelong Mums, thank you for your unwavering dedication, kindness and compassion. Your selfless efforts are changing lives and providing hope to countless families. The impact you have on the community is immeasurable, and I wholeheartedly recommend supporting this outstanding organisation.”
Linda has volunteered with Geelong Mums since the very beginning. We caught up with her to reflect on how the charity has grown and her own experience observing the impact Geelong Mums has on Victorian families.
“I read about Geelong Mums in the local GT magazine. They had a great article and as soon as I read it I knew it was exactly what I wanted to do. At the start, we would meet at the founders' homes. We would sort out all the baby stuff and then take the bags home. We would wash them all, maybe sew and mend and then pack them. Our team of volunteers was very small - only 6 to 8 of us.
My favourite task is the bundling of the gifts. I just love the way it looks. It is so satisfying packaging up the donations so they look fabulous. In my role as Gift Giver, I meet the Social Workers and hear the real stories. It instantly makes me feel proud about what we do - we really do make a difference."-
Our volunteers are the heart and soul of Geelong Mums and we couldn’t do what we do without them. If you’d like to find out more about volunteering with us and the various roles you could help with please click below to find out more.
We were so thrilled to be contacted recently by Sarah Balzer, Sales and Marketing Executive from The Holiday Inn - Werribee with a very generous offer to trial a collection drop off concept at their beautiful hotel.
Sarah very kindly reached out to the local community and arranged a children’s clothing collection drive - and received a huge response. She arrived with a FULL car load, all beautifully labeled and sorted into sizes. Sarah was blown away by her tour of our warehouse and is very keen to continue offering a collection point for clothing.
She also hopes to involve other Holiday Inns sometime in the future potentially. Sarah also shared with us that she had many donors thank her and say they had always wanted to donate but couldn't get to Geelong.
If you are interested in organising a donation drive for us please click below.
We absolutely LOVE hosting our workplace volunteers - not only do we meet fabulous people and hear everything about what they and their businesses do, but the sheer amount of tasks and the hours of help they provide us with is just incredible!! They also get an opportunity to see our working warehouses in action and how donations become the beautiful gifts that we re-home.
We recently hosted the team from Cisco who spent the day scrubbing prams, bassinets, safety gates and shoes until they sparkled.
The team from RACV Torquay Resort also came in and packed toiletry and clothing bundles, cleaned toys and puzzles and also prepared some prams. All of their hard work and effort means these items were ready to be safety checked, packed into requests and sent out the door to families via their Social Workers.
We just can’t thank these teams of workplace volunteers enough!
Workplace Volunteering can be a wonderful team building exercise while that creates meaningful social impact. We look forward to seeing you on the warehouse floor!
On Friday 12 May, four wonderful parents from Chilwell Primary School hosted a Mother’s Day Lunch to raise funds for us. The event was held at the Wharf Shed and raised a total of $5,100! We are so grateful! 94 women turned up for a delicious lunch, a glass or two of BAIE Wines and a dance. Many thanks to the sponsors that helped put on such a special day: Wharf Shed, Made Great, BAIE Wines and Berth Geelong. This amazing support from Esther, Demi, Phoebe and Steph will go a long way to helping babies and children in need! If you would like to fundraise for us, we have a number of easy and wonderful ideas on our website.
Our Rise and Shine Business Breakfast will take place in late October at GMHBA Stadium.
It’s a fabulous morning where the Geelong business community comes together to be entertained, network and support the fabulous cause that is Geelong Mums!
Keep an eye on your emails and our social media for more information.
From us all at St Kilda, Geelong & Eureka Mums, thank you so much for your incredible support,
Warm regards
Ruth Holdaway MBE
Chief Executive Officer
We are delighted to announce Ms Ruth Holdaway MBE has been appointed as CEO of Geelong Mums, St Kilda Mums and Eureka Mums (St Kilda Mums Inc.). Ruth will lead the organisation in its 13th year of operation, following the departure of founding CEO Jessica Macpherson OAM.
Ruth is from the UK and has been in Australia for two years. As CEO of Tennis Victoria, Ruth grew the sport and led the statewide volunteer workforce through the challenges of the pandemic. Prior to this, she was CEO of Women in Sport, the UK’s leading charity transforming sport for the benefit of every woman and girl. Ruth was awarded the MBE (the UK equivalent of the OAM) for her services to gender equality in sport.
St Kilda Mums Inc. Board Chair and Interim CEO Deidre Mackechnie, said "Ruth’s appointment follows a highly competitive recruitment process. I am confident that she will bring relevant experience to lead us through our next period of growth and help achieve our aim to reach every baby in need in every town across Victoria".
Ruth commenced in the role on Monday 28 June.
Hi,
I know the latest lockdown was challenging for so many so I do hope you’re staying safe and well. I’m pleased to say that we have stayed open again to support families and are incredibly busy despite a week without goods donations being dropped off and not having our incredible volunteers onsite.
There have been lots of highlights over the last couple of months, including -
On another exciting note, Giving Day is also just around the corner on Wednesday 16 June. Please keep an eye out for updates and #givesharecare what you can!
Thank you for everything you do for Geelong Mums! We often hear about the immediate impact the many items you help provide to families has on families in need. Cots, prams, car seats and clothing bundles aren't just a mode of transport or a nice outfit for families. They provide so much more - freedom, warmth, safety and opportunity.
I hope you enjoy reading some of the exciting updates happening at Geelong Mums.
Warm regards,
Julia
Julia Roache
General Manager
julia@geelongmums.org
It’s that special time of year again… Giving Day is almost here. Just two weeks to go.
Last year, an incredible $76,000 was donated from the community on the day. We were blown away by this support and then able to quadruple it thanks to our generous matched donor partners. Because of all these generous donations we’ve been able to help 5,302 babies and children across 2,623 families in Victoria.
We’re pleased to confirm that we will be quadrupling donations again this year and would love to raise just a little bit more than last year to ensure that we can help thousands more families with no other way of providing for their children.
This is why we need you - our loving community to Give, Share and Care this Giving Day.
“Geelong Mums have been a tremendous help to my family in this difficult time. During this turmoil of homelessness that we are currently going through the support from Geelong Mums means the world. All the items received were of such great quality and in wonderful condition. It truly brought a spark to my children’s eyes unpacking all their goodies. I could not be more appreciative of all they do!”
Natalie, Beneficiary
When the call went out that the Geelong Mums Mother’s Day lunch wouldn’t be going ahead in 2021, our generous community responded in the most fabulous way. With an invitation to host your own event, several creative and fun celebrations were held in its place, raising much needed funds to support families in desperate need. Lunches were held at restaurants, dinners were catered in people’s homes and fundraising raffles took centre stage.
Two of the Geelong businesses who played a special part in the absence of our Mother’s Day lunch were Blondie Salon and Hygge:Liv. Blondie raised over $5,600 in an event that brought businesses together and showed what a fabulous community we have here in Geelong. The team from Hygge:Liv hosted a ladies lunch for over 120 people at seaside restaurant A La Grecque and raised an astonishing $17,000!
Combined, all the events held during May raised over $30,000 and we thank all of those who supported us in this way, for sharing our vision of caring for every baby and child.
Our Make a Mother's Day toiletry pack campaign was also a wonderful success after COVID put a stop to it last year! Thanks to the incredible support of both the community and our hard working and generous volunteers, we were able to provide 697 toiletry packs to Mums in need. We were also so lucky to receive beautiful feedback from a recipient who posted this message on Facebook:
“Thank you for my 'Make a Mother's Day' package. I received one from my Bethany worker today. Self care is something that I just don't do. I don't make time for it. I can't justify any extra expenses and honestly, I just really don't feel worth it. It's just easier to keep plowing ahead. You have literally given me self care in a box. I feel so spoilt and I'm so very thankful. Xx “
We couldn’t ask for a better reminder of why we do what we do, and how we just could not assist these families without all of your hard work and support!
Over the last few months, with your support, we have continued to provide essential nursery equipment to thousands of families in need. We’ve also had quite a few people reaching out to share their Geelong Mums story with us.
Every story we hear brightens our day. So now it's your turn....
There are no rules or requirements. You’re very welcome to share your name with us or remain anonymous.
If you’re not sure where to begin, here are some questions to consider when telling your story:
Celebrating Volunteer Week is very important to Geelong Mums. It’s our small way of saying a very big, heartfelt thank you for all that our volunteers do, each and every week.
It was such a brilliant week - with lots on offer! With fabulous support from businesses such as La Madre Bakery, Geelong Myotherapy and Wellness Centre and The Gordon, our volunteers were treated to morning teas, massages, floral arranging classes and much more. A very special mention to Marci Sanderson and her sisters, who donated all the flowers for a special bouquet arranging session in loving memory of their beautiful Dad, John Sanderson.
We are so lucky to have the volunteers we do at Geelong Mums and we can't thank them enough for all they do to continue to support thousands of babies and children in Geelong each year.
Last month the girls from Sacred Heart College Geelong came to our warehouse and prepared beautiful clothing packs which we were then able to send to families who needed our help. Thank you to Annelise, Chloe and Sophia for all your help!
If you would like to book in your school group for a session of volunteering, please visit our website here.
The staff and volunteers at Geelong Mums would like to extend our condolences and thoughts to the Costa family on the passing of Frank last month.
As so many others have said, Frank's generosity and dedication to the people of Geelong will live on as his legacy.
Our heartfelt thanks goes to Frank for his support of Geelong Mums.
He will be sorely missed.
This winter we will be able to continue with our Coats for Kids drive at Geelong Mums. We are collecting warm winter coats, jumpers and jeans in excellent condition.
A donation drive for essential winter items is a great way to get your local community involved. If you would like to collect winter coats with your school, kinder, workplace or other community group please email us: donate@geelongmums.org
Thank you to everyone who completed our survey earlier this year. As a valued supporter of Geelong Mums, your feedback is very important to us.
We will be looking further into the results and contacting anyone that was interested in hearing back from us. There were some lovely messages of support included in there like this one:
“Geelong Mums has been such a inspirational adventure for me, I have seen first hand the wonderful impact they have on the community, the quality of items used are beautiful and thanks to Geelong Mums, my good friend was given a fresh start for her and her son. If I had to decide what career I wanted to look into in the future, I would straight away be looking into a job at Geelong Mums, while it's hard work, the reward at the end of the day is something I would like to be a part of. The team is always so helpful and takes great pride in what they do each day. Thank you Geelong Mums!”
St Kilda Mums, Geelong Mums and Eureka Mums will farewell their CEO Jessica Macpherson OAM next month.
Jessie has resigned as CEO and will be stepping down, twelve years after starting St Kilda Mums in the photocopier room at her local maternal health centre.
St Kilda Mums Inc. Board Chair Deidre Mackechnie said Jessie’s tenacity, passion and energy are behind the extraordinary growth and impact of St Kilda Mums, Geelong Mums and Eureka Mums, and that she will be greatly missed.
“Jessie has grown the organisation from a simple idea in 2009 to what it is today: a much-loved organisation with thousands of volunteers supporting more than 20,000 babies and children each year across Victoria,” she said.
Under Jessie’s leadership St Kilda Mums is now powered by a small staff team and more than 3,000 volunteers, and has warehouses in Clayton, Geelong and Ballarat.
Across 12 years it has supported more than 138,814 babies and children and saved more than 342,870 prams, cots and other essential items from landfill.
Jessie has also inspired and personally supported many other like-minded organisations across Australia and she has received several awards for her community work, including an Order of Australia Medal in 2019. She was inducted into the Victorian Honour Roll of Women in 2017 and was an award winner in the Pro Bono Australia Impact 25 last year.
“We are extremely grateful to Jessie for her incredible leadership across 12 years, the past seven as CEO, but understand that the time is right for Jessie to take on her next challenge,” Deidre said.
Jessie said it had been an honour to lead the organisation as founder, volunteer and CEO.
“Twelve years ago when St Kilda Mums began, three things struck me: waste, need and opportunity. From our first working bee to the network of sister organisations across Australia and the hundreds of thousands of babies and children supported in that time, the vision of a kinder fairer future has driven me,” Jessie said.
“It’s been an absolute honour to work with such a community of amazing staff, volunteers, donors and supporters and I am so proud to have made these achievements with them.
“From the beginning this organisation has been driven by volunteers, as it was volunteers in Geelong and Ballarat who drove the creation of Geelong Mums and Eureka Mums. Some 80 percent of our staff today joined us first as volunteers, and they like many others, secured their jobs, through the skills and experiences they learnt through volunteering.”
Jessie is leaving to follow the seed of another idea to help people get well paid, meaningful and flexible jobs in technology. It is the same technology that drove St Kilda Mums’ rapid growth and she plans to use it to help other organisations with their digital transformations.
“St Kilda Mums, Geelong Mums and Eureka Mums will always hold a special place for me. I look forward to seeing the organisation continue to grow and strive for a future where we share more, waste less and care for every child.”
Jessie’s last day as CEO will be Wednesday 31 March 2021. The St Kilda Mums Inc. Board will now turn its attention to working through a comprehensive recruitment process for its new CEO and will provide an update in due course.
Read more about Jessica here:
https://www.stkildamums.org/pages/our-story
https://www.stkildamums.org/blogs/news/how-i-lead-jessica-macpherson-st-kilda-mums
]]>We all hope in a time of crisis that our loved ones will be there to embrace and support us. Sadly some families just don’t have that option. We received a sad but heartwarming note from one of our financial supporters who chose to remain anonymous recently.
“I know first hand what it is like to be abused, grow up experiencing domestic violence, be poor, no clothes, no food, no home, no car, feeling like I'll never be good enough, feeling like my life will never change. It's the small support I was given by strangers that turned my life around. I've been through a lot myself but I just love helping others. I am living proof that positive change is possible. I want to help others see that they can do whatever they want, and to never give up no matter how hard it might seem”.
The small support given by strangers is what Geelong Mums is all about. But the remarkable thing about our community is that no one ever feels like a stranger. From our volunteers and staff to our goods and financial donors. And every other person in between that plays a special part in providing safety, opportunity and dignity for children and families in Victoria.
You’re the reason we kept our doors open most days during the pandemic.
The overwhelming requests for support kept coming in. But so did your posted goods, your financial donations, your kind words and your genuine care for the thousands of babies and children who needed us. Thank you so much for continuing to step in and help when families have nowhere else to turn.
We also know that heading into 2021 we will be busier than ever, supporting those families who have been hardest hit by COVID-19, including many who have never had to look to others for help before.
Although this year has been incredibly challenging, I’ll look back on it as one of the best as General Manager of Geelong Mums. And it’s all because of you.
Please enjoy our last newsletter for 2020. From our Geelong Mums family to yours, wishing you and your loved ones a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
Warm regards,
Julia
We are no longer accepting goods donations at our warehouse.
Thank you to everyone who dropped off, couriered and posted their donations to us in time for Christmas. We are working hard to get orders out to families across Victoria before 25 December. The best way to support right now is with a financial donation to our Christmas Appeal.
Our warehouse will reopen for donations on Monday 18 January. Please book an appointment here or keep an eye on our social media channels for more information.
In 2020, your support enabled us to provide 15,105 items of nursery equipment and children’s clothing, with a second-hand value of $1,679,313 to 5,366 babies and children.
This includes:
Earlier in November we completed the largest request we’ve ever filled! A van chock-a-block full of essential items. Your support makes all of this possible for families experiencing hardship.
That’s the theme of our Christmas appeal, raising the funds we need to help families over the summer months.
Donations help cover the cost of supporting families at our busiest time of year and mean we can purchase extra nursery equipment as orders for vulnerable families continue to flood in the closer we get to Christmas.
Please can we ask you to share the appeal and should you or someone you know be in search of Christmas gift ideas, we now have a Christmas gift page, which provides you with a lovely opportunity to make a gift in lieu of a present for a loved one.
We are so grateful to Cotton On Kids and Cotton On Foundation for their recent $50,000 donation to help us alleviate financial burdens on families in the Geelong regions, especially as we navigate what the world will look like in 2021.
Through amazing customer support and sales of Cotton On Kids and Cotton On Foundation masks, they shared the love and a portion of these proceeds to help Geelong Mums and local families who need it most.
Cotton On Kids General Manager, Lisa Rogers said, “Giving feels good! It’s an all-year round thing for us at Cotton On Kids, and we’re thrilled to continue our relationship with Geelong Mums, because no child should go without. Throughout the year we’ve sent over 300 boxes of product and sample stock to this deserving charity and it’s exciting to round out the year by making even more of a difference. Helping local communities has never been more important than in 2020”.
Thank you Cotton On for everything you do to help us support thousands of families every year.
We would also like to say a huge thank you to the following groups and businesses who donated to our Christmas appeal, collected gifts from their staff and clients or organised a donation drive for us in the last few weeks. We simply couldn't do what we do without this ongoing support and it means the world to us.
This month we say thank you and farewell to Stacey Barrass who has served on our board for the last five years. Stacey offered an important point of view for our board from the perspective that many of the families we serve share - that of domestic and financial abuse.
In the time that Stacey has been a board director the number of babies and children we help each year across our three branches has grown from 3,000 to over 20,000 a year.
If you would like to learn more about the special group of volunteers who make up our board and sub committees please read on.
“Geelong Mums to me is far more than just the material aid. The staff check in with workers with a genuine regard for the work we do in the field. Visiting the warehouse is always a great experience - the staff and volunteers have a positive attitude and an eagerness to assist. Geelong Mums plays a vital role within the community services sector in Geelong. It’s so important that this service is not only maintained but continues to grow and prosper to meet the ongoing needs of local families.”
Sue Parr
Senior Family Services Worker
Bethany Community Support
Hi
As an essential community service, Geelong Mums has continued to operate through the COVID-19 crisis, including restrictions and lockdowns. Indeed our colleagues at St Kilda Mums have also continued to operate, even during stage 4 lockdown.
The challenges are huge, as once again we are closed to our amazing volunteers, and generous goods donors. Thankfully, we can still receive donations via post and courier. We’ve never been more excited to see the postie turn up at the warehouse!
Social workers, midwives and Maternal and Child Health Nurses have even more challenges, navigating restrictions and balancing the needs of the families they support within their own COVID-19 Safe Plans.
The families you support live with significant barriers that cut them off from support and their community. If you had told me at the start of 2020 that we would all be able to relate to this because of a pandemic, I’m not sure I would have believed you.
Since 1 July 2020, because of the kindness of our amazing community, 807 babies and children received essential nursery equipment. Anything from a pram to enable a family to leave the house. To a cot, mattress and linen to ensure a baby has somewhere warm and safe to sleep.
The generosity we have seen from our community has been nothing short of incredible.
Thank you just doesn’t feel like enough right now. We will forever be grateful to every single person who continues to keep the warehouse doors open so we can support babies and children in their time of need.
I saw this recently on social media and in case you haven’t seen it, I wanted to share it with you.
What if 2020 isn’t cancelled?
What if 2020 is the year we’ve been waiting for?
A year so uncomfortable, so painful, so scary, so raw, that it finally forces us to grow.
A year that screams so loud, finally awakening us from our ignorant slumber.
A year we finally accept the need for change.
Declare change. Work for change. Become the change.
A year we finally band together, instead of pushing each other further apart.
2020 isn’t cancelled, but rather the most important year of them all.
Leslie Dwight
I’m so thankful that our community has been part of the change for many years now. At a time when we’re being called on more than ever before, thank you for everything you do for Geelong Mums. Let’s continue, together, in 2020 and for many years to come.
Take good care of yourself and your loved ones.
Warm regards,
Julia
While we can't open our doors to volunteers and donated goods being dropped off at the warehouse, we are still very much in need of all the items that we give out to families.
We’re so thankful to everyone who has posted something to us or done some online shopping recently. These special deliveries keep our stock levels up so we can continue helping vulnerable families in need. The turnaround time is quick with most items being distributed to families within a week.
If you would like to send essential nursery items directly to our warehouse, please see below for alternate options to get your donations to us.
Australia post
If you have items that can be posted, or ordered online, we would be so grateful if you could use this option. Our address is:
Geelong Mums
110 Balliang St
South Geelong VIC 3220
Courier service
We can arrange courier service in Geelong and surrounding suburbs, for $15 to cover costs. The courier can come to your house and pick up donations of larger items including prams, car seats, baby baths, bouncers and high chairs. This will allow us to safely pick up donations (including clothing, nappies, toiletries etc too!) from donor's homes.
Please email us if you wish to learn more about this option.
Shop and Drop
In conjunction with Waurn Ponds Shopping Centre, we have a Shop and Drop donation box located outside Target at the centre. Shoppers are encouraged to purchase new items at the Centre and donate directly to Geelong Mums. Please note, we can only accept new items so hold onto your preloved goods until we can reopen or please use one of the other options.
As we face this difficult time, it’s important to reflect on the families we have been able to assist because of your continued support.
The month of July highlighted that 34% of families we helped were negatively affected by COVID-19. Loss of employment being the most common effect. The number of children affected by poor mental health in their family has doubled compared to this time last year.
We would like to thank all our supporters for your generous support in the past that has allowed us to be in this position today.
Here’s a beautiful feedback card sharing the incredible impact you have on the families we support.
Geelong Mums assisted 6,262 children from 2,751 families throughout Victoria in the last financial year.
With your help, this included:
And thousands more items… a total of 18,574 items in fact.
We did this while having to close our doors to goods donors and volunteers for close to 14 weeks. And this is only because of you - our wonderful supporters who have continued to donate financially, share our social media posts, talk about us to your friends and generally share the love.
Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for making this possible!
Thank you to everyone for supporting our biggest Giving Day ever on 17 June. Just over $75,000 was donated on the day to Geelong Mums. With all donations quadrupled by generous matchers, that’s an incredible $307,000.
It was heartwarming to see all of the different ways that our community give, share and care for Geelong Mums. Since 1 July, 807 babies and children have received essential nursery equipment. This money will ensure that we can support every family who turns to us between now and Christmas time.
It’s with the heaviest of hearts that we have to announce the cancellation of the 2020 Geelong Mums Mother’s Day Luncheon at Mt Duneed Estate.
Back in March, due to the emerging COVID-19 pandemic, we made the decision to postpone the May event to October. Never in our wildest dreams (well nightmares really) did we think that six months later we would have to completely cancel the event due to the continuation of the crisis.
However, best laid plans and all that.
As our major event of the year, the cancellation has had a major impact on our fundraising. The silver lining is that many businesses and individuals have decided to donate their sponsorships, prizes and tickets back to Geelong Mums - what an amazing community we live in.
Believe me when I say that we are already planning the next fabulous event and we can't wait until we can all get together again and continue to share these wonderful stories with you.
Can you imagine running the length of the Great Ocean Road from Barwon Heads to Warrnambool? Well this is exactly what Levi Turner, a fabulous supporter of Geelong Mums is going to do.
From October 19-23, Levi is going to run 300km along the spectacular Great Ocean Road and raise money to support Geelong Mums in the process. His target is an astonishing $10,000 so if you’d like to offer your support to Levi please send him a message and donate here.
We would like to say a huge thank you to Levi for this amazing effort and wish him safe travels for October.
If you are interested in finding out more about fundraising for Geelong Mums, please email us.
Hi
What a time we have all been living in over these last few months. We’ve all experienced something both traumatic and unifying over this time. We’ve seen many heartbreaking stories, particularly from overseas, and we’ve united as a community and as a country in a way never seen before to ensure that the story of the United States, of Britain, of Italy, did not become our story.
We have all had to quickly adapt and our busy lives have given way to a slower pace, although with added challenges of working and schooling from home. I find it quite poignant to think that this is a period of history that our grandchildren and great-grandchildren will be learning about at school in years to come.
As a community we have all ‘been in this together’ and that has never been more evident by us here at Geelong Mums. The way this community has continued to support us and therefore those who are most vulnerable in our region has been so inspiring. I am delighted to let you know that we have now reopened for volunteers and goods donations after ten weeks, and we did not have to suspend our service for even one day.
Our Giving Day is just around the corner on 17 June and I ask you to please #givesharecare on this day. Donate what you can, share our posts and let us know why you care about Geelong Mums.
It feels like such a long time since we’ve been able to accept beautiful preloved goods from the community. With government restrictions easing this week, we can welcome a small number of donations back into the warehouse.
If you’re thinking about dropping donations in, please read the details below very carefully to consider the best method for you.
Drop off - Strictly by pre booking only
If you have items that are on our most needed list, you can book in to drop off to our warehouse. Please email us with a list of what you have to donate and we can send the link to book through our online booking system.
Australia Post
If you have items that can be posted or ordered online, we would be so grateful if you could use this option. Our address is: Geelong Mums, 110 Balliang St South Geelong VIC 3220
As we stagger how we open the warehouses to donations and volunteers, our limited operational capacity to check in, clean, sort and pack donations will be tested.
We are in desperate need of the specific items below and these donated items must be our priority. We are going to ask all our fabulous supporters to be very considered in the content and quality of their donations and to please hang onto any other donations that aren’t on the list below.
If you have any questions about what you can and can't donate, please first go to our website and then please email us. We are very happy to answer your questions.
Throughout this hectic time, we are so thankful that we've been able to remain open. We are in awe of the efforts of the support workers who have continued to collect goods from us and distribute them to local families doing it tough. We have adjusted by setting up a contactless service at the warehouse. Pre packed orders in trolleys are being wheeled out to social worker’s cars and loaded by staff, all an example of the efforts to minimise risk. This has meant that families in need have still been able to access urgent items during this crisis.
Unfortunately we've been operating without our amazing team of volunteers and we just wanted to take this opportunity to thank them for all of the hard work they put in prior to COVID-19. Without their incredible efforts, our stock levels just would not have been able to sustain us during these last few months!
In just two months, we have distributed 2588 items with a preloved value of $294,734 to help support 408 families with a total of 959 children. Such an incredible effort.
The families we support have faced many challenges with increased complexity over this time. From nappies and soap being out of stock at the supermarket to limited or no face to face outreach contact from their caseworkers. Supporting children to learn from home was challenging for most but has been especially challenging for new arrivals when English is not their first language.
Many families have not been eligible for any government payments and navigating changes of Centrelink support always creates opportunities for families who may fall through the cracks.
The response from our community has literally been life saving. When we closed our doors to goods donation in March, much of our stock in the warehouse came close to running out quickly. With funds donated, we have been able to purchase wholesale cots, prams and car seats. Brand new clothing, toiletries and linen has arrived in the post so that families still have what they need to welcome their babies home. Without donations from the times pre-COVID and a top up of generous online donations of brand new goods, this level of support just wouldn't have been possible. We thank you from the bottom of our hearts!!
A very special thank you to the Geelong Community Foundation who fast tracked a $40,000 grant to Geelong Mums so we could support more babies and children without delay while we closed for volunteers and goods donations from the public.
As mentioned earlier, we have been overwhelmed by the generosity of spirit shown to us during this pandemic. So many individuals have supported us so readily and to them we say a huge thank you. We would also like to send out a special thanks to the following organisations who supported us so generously over the last 3 months. Their financial, gift in kind and material goods donations have been invaluable in allowing us to stay open.
In the week beginning Monday 19 May, we celebrated National Volunteer Week. We are so lucky to have such wonderful volunteers that continue to support us, even when they haven’t been able to attend our warehouse.
During the week of social media celebration, we shared profiles of some of our wonderful volunteers on our Facebook and Instagram pages.
Please read below about Lily Dunn, who volunteers for us in between her day job as a nurse at University Hospital.
Why did you choose Geelong Mums?
I chose Geelong Mums because it seemed like such a welcoming place to come and help out vulnerable people. I was shocked to learn at Geelong Mums that so many families in my local community were struggling to provide basic needs for their children. I loved that Geelong Mums not only helped these families with material goods but through their service gave them dignity and hope.
What exactly do you do as a volunteer at Geelong Mums?
I volunteer my time at Geelong Mums sorting donations and making up clothing packs ready to be picked up by social workers and given to the specific family that needs them.
Tell us a little bit about your personal story, and why helping families in need appealed to you?
I am 23 years old and work as a nurse at Geelong Hospital. I count myself so lucky that my family was always able to provide me with appropriate clothing, shoes and toys - this should be the right of every child. Giving a child a good start in life sets them up for great things and may allow them to break the cycle of poverty that their family may be living in.
How has life or your perspective on life changed since volunteering with us?
Geelong Mums has helped me appreciate the amazing childhood I had and the life that I lead. It has opened my eyes up to the prevalence of poverty and domestic violence in my community - but also made me aware of the many organisations that work tirelessly to support people impacted by these issues. Geelong Mums has impacted my life by introducing me to a whole new group of people that have become my friends and support network. Geelong Mums has given me a place to go when I am struggling with issues in my own life where I know I will always be greeted with a smile and open arms.
Giving Day is almost here. Only one week to go! Last year, an incredible amount of $159,940 was donated by our generous community. With those funds, we’ve been able to support thousands of families through some incredibly tough times.
This year, we need to raise $200,000 to ensure every baby and child has the essential nursery equipment they need. We know it's an ambitious goal but we truly believe it's achievable when you, our incredible supporters stand beside us on the day.
Every financial donation will be quadrupled. Please give what you can, share our posts with your network and show how much you care for those in need.
We would really love to shine a spotlight on our beautiful community of supporters during Giving Day. If you’re interested in recording a short video about how you give, share and care about Geelong Mums, please email our Fundraising Manager Rochelle and she will send you some more information.
Finally I’d like to say a very big thank you to each and every one of you for your unwavering support, especially over the last three months. COVID-19 has thrown each of us many curveballs, but all of these have been met with an even more determined commitment by the Geelong Mums community to help the thousands of babies and children we support throughout the year.
To our wonderful community - thank you for not forgetting about them and for continuing to share our vision where we waste less, share more and care for every child.
Much love,
Julia
Julia Roache
General Manager
0417 032 825
julia@geelongmums.org
Regretfully, the St Kilda Mums Inc board and I have made the decision to stay closed for goods donations until further notice. Following the government's advice to strictly limit travel outside the home, and for the safety of our staff, this measure is unavoidable at this time. As an organisation our staff are still working hard to help families in need access vital nursery equipment and other necessary items. Thanks for sticking with us.
Please see our FAQs about what this means for you.
Jessica Macpherson OAM
To all our amazing supporters,
In light of developments this weekend, we have made the difficult decision to close our warehouse for volunteering and goods donations, pending further guidance. We are awaiting further information about what constitutes an ‘essential service’. Our hope is that we can continue to serve vulnerable families during this time.
In the meantime, we have been directed by our Board to close the warehouse to all volunteers and to all members of the community wishing to drop off items.
Our Board will meet again on the evening of Monday 23 March. We hope we will have more information from the Government at that point to inform us about our ability to keep serving social workers and maternal health nurses.
Please keep checking our website, our Facebook and Instagram, and your emails for further updates from us.
This is a very challenging time for us all. We are so worried about the families who need our help. Please stick with us during this time.
Thank you for everything you do for Geelong Mums. We are thinking of all of you, and we will be in touch again soon.
Jessica Macpherson OAM, CEO
Geelong Mums
These are worrying, uncharted times. We are in the midst of a global health pandemic caused by COVID-19. The pace and volume of information is overwhelming. In the time that passes between me sending this email, and you reading it, the situation will have changed again.
What matters right now is that we prioritise health, flatten the curve and play our part by paying attention to the updates and recommendations of our government and local authorities. We are using the Department of Health as our main source of guidance, and we suggest this as a good place to start if you're unsure about where to look.
At Geelong Mums we are assessing the situation on a daily basis. Our organisation is based in Geelong, Clayton and Ballarat and we work with a vast and varied network of donors, volunteers, social service agencies, hospitals and suppliers across the state.
We are considering a range of options that would allow us to operate a reduced service. At the time of sending this, we are continuing to provide our service to help families in need. We are constantly considering all of the different ways we may be able to deliver our service, knowing our operations are likely to change in light of changing circumstances for volunteers, staff and donors.
We have already seen a significant decline in the number of regular volunteers attending the warehouse, as they navigate an ever-changing landscape for their own work and home lives. Our workplace volunteering teams are cancelling as they follow directives from their senior management.
Less and less people are dropping by with their donations.
We ask that you continue to refer to our Facebook, Instagram and website for updates on our operations.
We only know one thing for sure. That the families we help are already some of the most vulnerable people in our community.
Many of the families we help are adrift, moving from couch to couch or desperately waiting for their spot in transitional or commission housing. How will they effectively self-isolate?
There are those who need our help because they are already suffering from acute health conditions, unable to work.
And it will come as no surprise that single-parent, single-income families are vastly overrepresented amongst those we help. What will happen if they can no longer go to work?
There is no doubt that the poor and vulnerable in our community will feel the effects of this crisis the most.
And I won’t lie, we are worried. Because while the need for our support will grow over the coming weeks and months, our capacity to help will reduce.
We, like any organisation, are facing significant challenges to our resourcing and income.
So, please stick with us. We need you.
Please drop off your donations while you can. It is critical that you check our website and Facebook page before you visit to make sure we are open and able to accept your donation. Please do not visit if you are unwell or are in a period of isolation after overseas travel.
And please, please if you can, consider making a financial gift to us at this time. We need to pay the rent on our warehouses, we need to pay our staff, and we need to pay our bills. It is also highly likely that, as donations drop off, we will need to purchase more stock to help families.
We do not have government funding and we are already experiencing damage to our fundraising income as a result of this health crisis.
There are 109 families on our waitlist right now. Where will they go if we don’t help them?
Please donate here if you can. Every dollar helps right now.
Thank you, we will keep you updated and we will keep helping those who need help. Please take good care of yourselves during this time.
Julia Roache
General Manager
Now local manufacturers are pledging to do something about their waste problem.
After arriving back home in Melbourne, new parents Claire George and Nick Hamond have just started the search for a baby seat for their 4-month-old Remy.
"We've been lucky enough not to need one until now because we had friends overseas who lent us their car seat," Ms George said.
"We love to reuse things."
Yet despite being conscious about sustainability, the couple does not know what will happen to Remy's new car seat when he grows out of it.
"I know it's probably not a good thing," Ms George said.
About 1.2 million baby car seats, capsules and boosters are sold new in Australia every year.
The products do not have a long lifespan, due to product safety recommendations that they should only be used for 10 years.
Melbourne baby store retailer Michael Milun said many parents want to buy them brand new and that babies usually got through many different types of seats in their first five years of life.
"And you'll get people buying a seat for both partners' cars, and the nanny, and the grandparents," Mr Milun said.
Yet despite this, there is no centralised recycling scheme for the seats in Australia.
As a result, 200,000 a year wind up in landfill.
And this waste stream problem is not just unsustainable. Charities also are overloaded with the burden of disposing of old and broken car seats that well-meaning people donate to them.
Melbourne charity St Kilda Mums (which includes Geelong Mums and Eureka Mums) receives at least 1,000 baby seats that it cannot use every year.
"I feel terrible about the fact these items end up in landfill and take a long time to break down," its chief executive Jessie Macpherson said.
There are moves to create a central recycling program for baby car seats in Australia.
In November, the Federal Government announced that it wanted to add car seats to the Product Stewardship Act.
The Act included products like batteries, industrial oil and old televisions, and if implemented properly, commits manufacturers of certain products to do something about their products at their end of life.
The car seat industry's product stewardship listing is being led by a group of sustainability consultants who first got interested in this area of recycling them when they became young fathers.
In 2017, Equilibrium ran a trial program across Australia that saw people drop off almost 2,000 old baby car seats to collection depots across the country.
"We just couldn't find any way to recycle the baby seats," Equilibrium managing director Nick Harford said.
These seats were then broken apart and sent off to recyclers that Equilibrium had recruited.
"Eighty per cent of these seats are made from recyclables like plastic and metal," Mr Harford said.
"It was a revelation."
As of this week, Equilibrium has signed up all three major manufacturers of baby car seats in Australia to the next stage of its product stewardship scheme push.
Britax, Infasecure and Dorel make 80 per cent of seats sold in the local market, meaning this is a big step towards doing something about the problem.
"We are very supportive," Britax managing director Dirk Voller said.
"We feel this should not be limited to baby car seats and capsules but cover all product categories including wheel goods such as prams, strollers and other related nursery products."
Both Britax and Infasecure said that they were working on product design that made their car seats simpler to recycle as well.
Equilibrium's Mr Harford said the next step will be launching a wider version of its baby car seat recycling trial, with it hoping to be collecting and recycling about 50,000 baby car seats a year by 2023.
"We think parents will get involved in this," he said.
"Even now, two years after we finished our trial, we still get people calling us up asking them how they can drop off their old seats."
However, the recycling scheme will cost the industry money.
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Geelong Mums, Eureka Mums and St Kilda Mums are deeply shocked and saddened by the recent bushfires across Australia. We know many of you will want to help and we are sharing information here about how you can best support us and affected families at this time.
As first priority, we urge anyone who wants to support victims of the bushfires to make a monetary donation to the organisations currently on the front line. These are the Australian Red Cross, the Salvation Army, Vinnies, Foodbank Victoria and state-based fire brigades, such as the CFA.
These organisations have stressed that, at this time, the best way to support is with money. They're simply not in a position to manage the processing and logistics involved in distributing donated goods, and are best placed to use financial support to fund their critical emergency response efforts.
We will be ready in the coming weeks to start distributing items for the babies and children of affected families. This can only happen when access is possible and it’s safe to do so. We stress that this assistance will only be provided through orders from social workers and Maternal & Child Health Nurses, as per our normal service.
Like many community welfare organisations, we are currently operating on skeleton staff and volunteers over the Christmas and New Year period. We are limited in our capacity to accept and process donations of goods.
We will open our doors to receive donations again on Monday 13 January and we urge anyone who wishes to donate items to carefully check the list of items we can and can't rehome before dropping off. If you are unsure please email us. It’s more important than ever that we do not receive items we are unable to rehome, which slows us down and limits our capacity to help those in crisis.
Sister organisations who provide essential items for babies and children in other states, will also be helping families in the coming weeks - more information about their services can be found here.
Please contact our service team by email if you are a social service agency or Maternal & Child Health Nurse who requires baby or children’s items for a family in crisis.
Thank you for your support.
2 January 2020 Media Release print here. Image: 9 News
]]>Last week we received a donation with a special message from a local business. They told us that instead of buying gifts for their partners, their employees decided to donate to Geelong Mums so we can fund one cot and mattress, 12 clothing bundles and 14 linen bundles for families in desperate need this Christmas.
It’s at this time of year that the gap between those of us who have the means and support to meet the needs of our children, and those who are struggling with hardship, seems particularly wide. So, as we work towards helping the families on our waitlist before Christmas, we are acutely aware of the profound difference made by people like you.
It’s been another incredible year of growth and impact for Geelong Mums. Only with the support of our amazing community of volunteers, donors, local businesses, social workers and Maternal & Child Health Nurses can we do what we do each day and make a life-changing difference to families in need.
I’m excited to share with you our last newsletter for 2019 filled with stories of your amazing impact. Everything I share with you in the newsletter is made possible because of people like you, thank you.
With a couple of weeks to go this year (and this decade!), we’re thrilled to share some amazing 2019 impact figures with you.
Since January we’ve been able to support 6,079 babies and children across 2,599 families.
Collectively, from our three branches - Geelong Mums, St Kilda Mums and Eureka Mums - your support has enabled us to help 19,347 babies and children across Victoria. That number will surpass 20,000 before the end of December, as our volunteers and staff work at full tilt to help families in the lead up to Christmas, our busiest time of year.
Our service, specifically from Geelong Mums, since January has seen us distribute 18,666 items at a pre-loved value of more than $2.1M. These items included:
These are essential items, critical to the safety of children and wellbeing of families. As we get closer to Christmas and we all think about spending time with loved ones, it becomes clear just how critical your support is to families who need a helping hand. Thank you for everything you do to help Geelong Mums waste less, share more and care for every baby and child.
We’re so excited to announce that we have been successful in receiving a $10,000 grant from Give Where You Live, to support our service to social workers and Maternal & Child Health Nurses, enabling them to access essential nursery equipment and children’s clothing for the families they help.
There is considerable work involved in building relationships with social service agencies and fulfilling all of their orders, so we’re very grateful to receive this support.
Between now and the end of January we estimate we will support over 800 babies and children in the Geelong region. This grant will help remove social isolation for the families we assist, by providing their support workers with prams and car seats that keep families mobile and connected.
Give Where You Live have been huge supporters of Geelong Mums for the last six years and we can't thank them enough for continuing to share our vision of a future where we waste less, share more and care for every baby and child.
We're thrilled to share that Geelong Mums, St Kilda Mums and Eureka Mums were a joint winner in the Employee Volunteering Program category at the Volunteering Victoria State Awards.
This award is a tribute to our dedicated team leaders who ensure that all workplace volunteers have an enjoyable and meaningful experience when they spend a day with us - and we are grateful to each and every volunteer who helps transform donated nursery items into beautiful gifts for families in need.
It's also a credit to those businesses who recognise the importance and the rewards of volunteering and who commit to providing this opportunity for their employees.
You can find out more about workplace volunteering here.
This week our sister branch, St Kilda Mums, received a note from a mum along with her gift to our Christmas appeal. She donates throughout the year, as well giving a special toiletry bag to our annual One Mother to Another Mother’s Day campaign, but donating at Christmas time is especially important to her.
Why does she do this? Because eight years ago, someone like you decided to support our organisation, and in turn we were able to help this mum and her baby in a time of crisis.
The effect of that generosity, and knowing there was someone out there who cared for her and her baby, was so profound that she has chosen to give to us ever since. She tells us that every Christmas she wants to help another mother.
This mum had left a violent and abusive marriage. She was alone - her husband had discouraged any new friendships seeking to isolate and further control her. The violence increased during pregnancy, which is something that is all too common.
Once it became unbearable and once she realised that she could not protect her daughter from her husband’s rage, she took a brave step and asked for help from an ex-work colleague. Together they planned her escape and she started over. St Kilda Mums provided a cot for her baby daughter, as well as clothing and other essentials. That Christmas, and every Christmas since, this mum has donated money to buy a new cot for another baby.
When she received our certificate of appreciation with her donation last week she told us ‘this is the best Christmas gift I received’, but really the gift is ours. We’re not sure we could receive a better gift than knowing this organisation has played some small role in transferring love from one mother to another.
A donor arrived at Geelong Mums last month to drop off donations and took a moment to ask what we needed most. We showed her our list of essential items - what we needed most that week to meet the needs of the families on our waitlist.
That same gorgeous lady returned to Geelong Mums HQ the same afternoon with tears in her eyes and a fabulous donation of new shoes.
“When I was little, I went to school with a girl who only had one pair of shoes. It broke my heart to hear that some of your families simply need shoes.”
Thank you for recognising that what seems basic to many of us, like a pair of children’s shoes, can be something out of reach to families in crisis.
We all know that school holidays are a great time to clean out the cupboards and this is especially prevalent at the end of the year, when families clear out the old to make way for the ‘new Christmas things’.
At the start of 2019 this was coupled with what we lovingly call the ‘Marie Kondo’ effect where millions of people jumped on board to rid their homes of any items that didn't bring joy to their lives.
We are always so happy to be the recipients of these items so please think of Geelong Mums as you do your Christmas clean out or “Kondo” your cupboards. However when you do so, please consider the following questions:
When you answer YES to all of these questions, then we are here to accept your donations!
We want everyone who receives a Geelong Mums clothing bundle, pram or cot to feel excited they have some lovely new clothes for their child or a safe place for their baby to sleep with freshly laundered linen, but also to know that they were packaged, bundled and safety checked with great care, thoughtfulness and love.
Thank you in advance for your generous donations and we look forward to seeing you at Geelong Mums in the new year.
We would like to acknowledge the contribution and support of two retiring board members, Linda Grace and Jesse Vincent.
Linda's volunteering began as a bundler and pro-bono legal adviser. After becoming a member of our fundraising sub committee in 2012, Linda joined our board in 2016 and became Chair in 2017. Linda is the mother of a young family and had her third child during her time with us.
Jesse started volunteering in early 2013 with impact reporting. She helped organise data and created meaningful reports; this work was the start of our annual 'what we rehome' impact tree. She joined our board as Treasurer in November 2014, helping us complete an audit with very little notice!
Both Linda and Jesse are an amazing inspiration to us - juggling motherhood, a busy job and giving back to the community.
If you want something done - ask a busy mum!
Linda has passed the baton onto Deidre Mackechnie as Chair, and Clementine Thompson has taken over from Jesse as our Treasurer.
Our board represents all three branches - St Kilda Mums, Geelong Mums and Eureka Mums - and oversees governance, financial management and accountability, and policies and procedures. You can read more about the Board here.
Kate Betts, from our Geelong Mums committee, sits on the board and attends the monthly meetings at our St Kilda Mums branch.
Thank you Linda and Jesse for your incredible contribution to our organisation; you are a shining example of volunteer commitment and giving back.
Sue’s family
Husband, Phill, and three children Claire (32), Chris (30) and Sarah (29), Harley the furchild (11), and one grandchild on the way!
How did you come to be a volunteer at Geelong Mums?
I retired and moved to Geelong three years ago, and was searching for a volunteer position that was flexible enough to allow me to travel.
Volunteering Geelong suggested Geelong Mums, and after attending the fabulous induction with Solée I knew I had found my place.
What do you love about Geelong Mums?
I love to volunteer and meet new people at the same time. Geelong Mums were so welcoming from the first moment with their warmth, friendliness and inclusion.
It has been quite eye-opening to hear stories from the case workers about families in need in our area. It’s a privilege to volunteer at Geelong Mums and be able to assist. I wish I could do more.
Thank you Sue! You can find out more about volunteering here.
Once again we would like to thank you all for everything you do and from the Geelong Mums family to yours - we would like to wish you all a Merry Christmas and a safe and happy New Year.
We look forward to seeing you in 2020!
Warm regards
Julia Roache
General Manager - Geelong Mums
julia@geelongmums.org
0417 032 825
Our annual report show how we are working for families in Geelong and across Victoria as a branch of St Kilda Mums. They tell stories from the people we work with, highlight how we are meeting our strategic goals and offer an explanation of how we use the donations we receive. Our full financial statements are available on the ACNC website.
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As we told you in our last newsletter, we’ve been as busy as ever at Geelong Mums and the tree below shows our impact over the last financial year. Because of you, we were able to support 6,129 babies and children with 18,301 items, helping vulnerable families across the G21 region.
I want to thank every single one of you for your ongoing support because, without you, none of this could happen. Whether it’s donating your pre-loved baby clothes, making a financial donation to one of our appeals to help cover our ongoing costs, or spreading the word about Geelong Mums to your family and friends, we’re so very grateful.
We are often approached at Geelong Mums by community groups, schools and individuals who would like to fundraise for us. We absolutely love it when this happens because it not only helps raise vital funds to keep our doors open, but it also raises awareness in the community about what we do.
Events range from sausage sizzles and casual days at schools, to Christmas in July functions at workplaces, baby showers and even fresh fruit stalls for eager footy fans!
If you’re interested in learning more or would like to hold a fundraiser for Geelong Mums please visit our website.
Because everything we give out to families is beautifully presented, packed, safety-checked and spotless we always appreciate items being cleaned before they are donated to us. Our CEO and the co-founder of St Kilda Mums, Jessica Macpherson, outlines below the best and most natural ways to clean nursery items - feel free to use this on any household items!
Most nursery items are designed to be easy to clean. But it helps to have a few tricks to make it as easy as possible, and when you have little ones around you will want to use products that are completely natural.
You won't believe how effective a simple mix of baking soda and Castille soap is - we call it Magic Pixie Dust.
Make a solution of baking soda and Castile soap (50/50), and thin it with a little water. You can make as little as a tablespoon at a time - how much you make depends on how many things you have to clean. Baking Soda is active so it’s best to make and use immediately - the mixture is not effective if you store it over time.
Prams get especially dirty on the leading edges and the fabric can go shiny and grey - this is dirt. Rub the paste into the fabric of your pram with your fingers. Leave it for five minutes and then scrub with a hard bristle brush. Then you simply hose down and sun-dry.
This mixture will lift dirt and stains right out of pram fabric - so that you don't have to remove the sling or hood from the frame.
It also works wonders on highchairs - you can push the mixture into all the nooks and crannies, and use an old toothbrush to really get in once the mixture has loosened all the dirt.
Once it's scrubbed clean, hose it down to get in all the sides. Do this on a sunny and hot day so all the parts dry very quickly.
Magic Pixie Dust will remove stains from the fabric of your child’s car seat too! Remove the cover, paying careful attention to how you remove it, as you’ll need to remember how to put it back on!
Rub it in, give it a gentle rub (not hard wire in this instance) and pop it in the washing machine on a hot wash. While it is washing and drying you can hose out the plastic frame, using an old toothbrush to remove the raisins from the corners!
Again the mixture will lift any crusted-on dirt (especially in the base). Sun-dry and replace the fabric.
Magic Pixie Dust will remove grease stains from clothing, and is easy to use for spot cleaning also.
I use this very same solution to clean my bathroom, the kitchen sink, to take dirty fingerprints off paint - you name it. The great thing about it is that I never worry about the kids getting into my stash of cleaning products. Baking soda is a cooking ingredient, and the Castille Soap is what we have in our bathroom! You will find Castile soap at your local health food shop.
Christie Reid
Family: My husband Alex and our boys, Hamish (9) and Thomas (6) and an imaginary cat!
How did you hear about Geelong Mums?
I bought a Geelong Mums fundraising candle from a kinder mum, Bianca Clair, who happened to be one of the founders and it all started from there.
Why do you choose to volunteer?
Because it makes me feel part of a community minded group and gives me a purpose. I also enjoy working and meeting new people.
What does Geelong Mums mean to you?
Promotion of the values of love and kindness to those in our community who need it, through gift giving without judgement.
Best moment so far?
Every moment is joyous for me. Whether it’s listening to someone’s story upon greeting them in the car park as they donate goods or packing shoes for children to run and play in and feel loved.
In July 2019, after more than two and half years as Chair of the board for St Kilda Mums, Geelong Mums and Eureka Mums, Linda Grace has stepped down to spend more time with her young family.
We're so thankful to Linda for her many years of volunteering. She first volunteered as a member of our Fundraising Subcommittee, back in 2012 before we had any employees. She has been instrumental in growing our fundraising capacity and, under her leadership and guidance, our annual impact has increased 20 fold.
The board elected Deidre Mackechnie to be our new Chairperson. Deidre first joined our board in 2017.
She has had an extensive career in health, initially training as a nurse which led to clinical education, followed by a move to human resources and subsequent roles in senior management. Deidre is the CEO at Multiple Sclerosis Australia. She has postgraduate qualifications in Education, Human Resource Management and Governance.
Welcome Deidre and thank you Linda!
For the past few weeks we've been asking the community to support our real baby bundle appeal. A gift of $126 enables you to provide one baby or child with the items they need for a safe start - from a cot to a breast pump, and everything in between! Our goal is to raise enough from this appeal to provide a bundle of essential items to 85 babies and children.
The generous response we have received so far has given 23 children the essential nursery equipment and clothing they need, but we need to raise the funds to reach the rest of the babies and children who need our help.
If you can, please consider making a donation of $126, or an amount of your choice (every dollar counts!) using this page today. Thank you, however you can help will mean we can support the families who are added to our waitlist every single day.
Thank you once again for all that you do in sharing our vision of a future where we waste less, share more and care for every child.
Portacots are wonderful for families that travel, or spend weekends in the country. Portable cots are intended for temporary use and are not suitable for long term sleeping arrangements.
There have been several sleeping accidents with infants in portacots, primarily caused by the addition of an extra mattress or bedding. The mattress of a portacot is very thin and firm, and it is tempting for parents to want to make it more comfortable for their baby. This puts the infant at great risk.
Social workers ask us for cots - not portacots - as a cot is a safe place for a baby to sleep dream and play for the first 3 years of his or her life. We work hard to rehome preloved cots that meet the household standard (we do not rehome childcare centre cots) and we fundraise to purchase new cots from our supplier who sells us new household standard cots at below cost.
For this reason we do not accept donations of portacots - there is simply no need for them, so we say no thank you to dozens of offers from generous families every week.
People often ask us what they should do with the portacot they no longer need and here are three great ideas:
If you have any other ideas we would love to hear them. Thank you for your support - we could not do it without you.
SIDS and Kids Safe Sleeping
Kids Safe NSW Portable Cot Safety
Baby's death leads to warnings over portacot mattresses
Product Safety Recalls Australia
Choice Magazine Portacots fail mandatory and voluntary standards
Portacots and pose suffocation and injury risks.
To mark their significant 10th anniversary, LOVE TO DREAM™ have donated half a million dollars’ worth of swaddles, sleep bags and sleep suits to Geelong Mums, St Kilda Mums, Eureka Mums and other sister organisations around Australia.
After finding out that due to extreme poverty, as many as 1 in 6 families* can't afford to provide basic necessities for their babies, including warm clothing and sleep garments, founder and CEO of LOVE TO DREAM Hana, felt compelled to help.
Children comprise 24.3% of all people living in poverty in Greater Melbourne and the proportion is even higher in the regional areas, at 29.2%[ii].
Geelong Mums General Manager Julia Roache said “Whenever we provide material aid to families it means that they are able to channel their finances to other necessities such as food and rent. This partnership with LOVE TO DREAM shows a vulnerable family that the community cares about them.”
Hana and the team at LOVE TO DREAM came up with the idea of donating the sleep garments after being made aware of the difficult circumstances that thousands of families face while trying to meet their basic needs. As Hana explains; “With this donation we hope to help ensure that families experiencing financial hardship are able to keep their babies warm this winter and to raise awareness of the important work done by our country’s incredible charities,”
"Making a difference and giving back is a core value of LOVE TO DREAM and this significant initiative is an extension of our wider commitment to social responsibility as we celebrate our 10-year anniversary."
“We feel grateful and fortunate to have been able to deliver our mission over the past 10 years to help babies and parents achieve safer, better, longer sleep.“
“Good sleep is critical to a family's mental and physical health and that is why it's so important to us to reach out and support these families in need. Sharing the love is one of the core values that has driven our company since day one and being able to help so many families is only possible with the direct action of 14 amazing charity partners. We’re so grateful to them for enabling this initiative."
Geelong Mums is part of a network of sister organisations who have distributed more than $12 Million dollars worth of goods in the past 12 months. To find a complete list of sister organisations, please read this.
Not only did we hit our target of $30,000 for Geelong Mums in our #everybabyeverytown appeal on 5 June, we smashed it, raising $52,329!
This is an incredible result, bringing us so much closer to reaching families right across Victoria who need our help. So if you donated, shared our posts, spread the word, contributed as a team or cheered us on, thank you!
Special thanks to our matchers the Johnstone Family Foundation - we couldn't have done it without you! Thank you for helping us to support every baby in every town of Victoria.
Your generous donation will help Geelong Mums support even more babies and children over the next year. With your help, we can aim to ensure every baby and child in Victoria has access to our service, and every baby has the same safe start in life.
Your support means we can:
We thank you for sharing our belief that every baby deserves a safe start in life, every baby, in every town.
Your generosity and support drives everything we do at Geelong Mums. Your donations mean that together we can help many families enjoy the precious experience of early childhood, and give their children the safe start they deserve. Together, we can help every baby in every town in Victoria.
Thank you again for your support.
]]>You may be considering purchasing a second-hand cot. A friend might have offered you their pre-loved highchair. You may have seen a fantastic looking change table in the hard rubbish and wondered if it is safe to pick up.
When items are sold new, they come with loads of information about their safe use. Product manuals, assembly instructions, quick start guides, and a heap of infographical information or photographs that easily explain how to use the product safely.
But this packaging, and the instructions it came with, are often disposed of or lost, and without these the risk of improper use and child injury increases.
Australian Standards change over time and the second hand products may not meet the current standard and have all of the latest safety features.
If you are purchasing a second hand item online, you can’t physically see the product (only photos which can be hard to rely on) or handle it to see if it is in good condition, has all parts etc.
Some products come with instructions for safe use on the product itself. A sticker on the frame of your pram may have 5 bullet points about how to use the pram safely. A cot has a stamp on the base that advises what size mattress to buy.
But these can be peeled off or painted over.
Cots bolts, for example, are often misplaced when converting to a toddler bed. People donating their cots will often suggest that we could simply buy the missing bolt from a hardware store. If only it were so simple.
We have discovered over the years that many distributors and manufacturers of nursery products have ceased trading. It is therefore impossible to source replacement parts or a copy of the instructions for safe use for one of these items.
And what are the consequences of trying to put together a cot with generic bolts? There is a maximum $28,000 fine for the supply of an unsafe cot under consumer law in Victoria. This is why there are so few op shops selling cots these days.
But the risk to your child or someone else's is just too great.
This is why at Geelong Mums we only rehome cots from reputable distributors who offer after sales service and can supply replacement parts. We only rehome cots that are easy to assemble. The range of cots available for sale today is large. Our experience has helped us to recognise that certain styles of cots are safe, practical and fit for rehoming.
Everything we do is focused on the needs for the families we help and the social workers supporting them. That is why we recently updated our list of "what we can rehome" and removed solid wooden change tables.
The main reason that we have decided not to rehome wooden change tables is that so few of them actually meet the safety standard. They should have 3 sides at least 10 cm higher than the mat to prevent rolling over or wiggling upwards and falling from the top end. They should have a safety harness that secures over the child's tummy. Regrettably this standard is Voluntary not Mandatory - so many change tables don't meet this standard.
The second reason for not being able to rehome these change tables is that the families we help are usually living in refuges, transitional housing or homes with limited space. In such accommodation a portable folding change table or a change mat that can be stored under the couch or bed is a more universal solution - and safer.
We have a ton of ideas for what you can do with wooden change tables that we can’t rehome. Please visit this Pinterest page.
We do however happily rehome all folding change tables, change mats and their covers.
If you have any questions about product safety please contact us and we will try and help you.
We love to share our knowledge, and by signing up to volunteer with us, not only can you learn a new skill, but you can help families in need. At Geelong Mums we are always looking for volunteers to help us with a variety of tasks from cleaning prams, to assembling cots, to packing beautiful clothing bags - there is a job for everyone. We also rely on the community for donations of preloved baby goods so that we can continue to help families in need. Signing up for our newsletter is a great way to keep in touch, see the impact of your support and know when we need your help. Thank you!
Product Safety Australia (a division of the ACCC) - 1300 302 502
Consumer Affairs Victoria (CAV) Toy & Nursery Safety Line - 1300 364 894
Red Nose Foundation (formerly SIDS and Kids) in your state or territory - 1300 998 698
Check for product recalls
Choice Magazine How we test change tables
We are pleased to update you with some inspiring news…we have now supported our 3,000th family! From humbles beginnings operating out of our own homes three years ago, to now supporting thousands of families, we simply could not have done this without your support.
Every day we hear about how your support is making a difference for families in need. Please read on to find out how we continue to make an impact in our community.
Thank you!
As we recognise and thank everyone who has supported Geelong Mums to reach the milestone of supporting 3,000 families, we know that there is so much more to do. In just the last three months, Geelong Mums has supported 523 families and 1,327 children with more than 2,000 items.
Thanks to you we can continue to respond to rising requests for support for local families, whether that might be a cot or a car seat – or clothing when a growth spurt happens…we are so thankful for your support so we can continue to support children who need us most.
Our Tots for Cots campaign is currently underway and we’ve already received 20 wonderful preloved cots to rehome to families in need. Hear from Rita from Salvo Connect about why cots are so important.
If you don’t have a cot to donate, you might like to donate financially to support Geelong Mums to purchase a new cot. Last year 179 babies slept safely with cots rehomed from Geelong Mums.
Max and Lisa with just minutes notice, became ‘mum and dad’ for their three young grandchildren.
For Max and Lisa their future changed suddenly and irrevocably when they found themselves permanently caring for their three grandchildren aged 8, 4 and 2. Their daughter had started out as a great mum, houseproud and in love with her kids. But an addiction to the drug ice changed everything. ‘They literally arrived with just the clothes on their back,’ says Max, ‘they had no shoes, no toys, no beds, no nappies- nothing.’
Geelong Mums furnished the family with a new cot and bedding, a car seat, highchair, a walker, wipes, nappies, and toys and clothes for all three children.
‘We had so many new expenses,’ said Lisa. ‘Even food – we had snacks for when the kids would visit on the weekend, but we didn’t have food to feed three kids day in day out. Geelong Mums even helped with baby formula which was so good because it is very expensive. If it wasn’t for Geelong Mums we would have had to make a choice between feeding the kids and getting them proper beds.’
Be inspired at the Inspire Geelong Breakfast with guest speaker Peta Credlin on Friday, 11 November. We are thrilled to be alongside Anam Cara Geelong as beneficiaries of the annual breakfast thanks to the wonderful Sacred Heart College Geelong Alumni Association. Get your tickets from Sacred Heart NOW to avoid missing out… tickets are selling very fast!
Volunteer with your workmates
Have you thought about getting your workmates together for a session of volunteering? We welcome corporate volunteers and accommodate groups every week. To book or find out more email Geelong Mums Operations Coordinator Solee Robertson.
We are delighted to announce Kristina McMennemin as our new Social Services Coordinator. Kris is responsible for managing requests from caseworkers and maternal and child health nurses. Kris brings with her extensive experience in the local government and private sectors, working regularly with diverse communities.
Here’s when we are opening to receive donations in Term 4. Please remember to read our ‘what we can rehome’ list, as it has been updated recently. Our address is 2/110 Balliang Street, South Geelong.
Cot safety is a big deal. Its a big deal because when a cot that has been put together incorrectly collapses, a small baby could be seriously injured.
Cot safety is very important to us which means we can only re-home a cot if it has never been recalled and complies with the Safety Standard for cots: AS/NZS 2172:2003. If your cot was bought overseas (anywhere but NZ) it will not have a sticker indicating that it complies with this local standard this and we will not be able to re-home it.
It is really important that any household cot donated to Geelong Mums comes with:
If you have lost the assembly instructions, we need the manufacturer contact info, the model, and the date and country of manufacture as we may be able to source the correct manual and any missing parts from the manufacturer.
The identifying information printed here is typical - this has a serial number for easy identification. If you are unsure please send us a photo of your cot.
If you cannot locate this information on the base slat of the cot, this is a good indication that your cot was manufactured before 2003 and may not meet current mandatory safety standards. If your cot is Boori, King Parrot or Ikea, you might not be able to find the date of manufacture stamped, however we are confident these models are safe to rehome.
A cot that meets the mandatory safety standards will also have the recommended mattress size stamped on the base slat which helps us fit the correct mattress. We do re-home used mattresses, but only if they are in great condition with no marks or stains.
We ask that you disassemble the cot because it is very difficult to transport a cot fully assembled.
Once you have a copy of the manual, please disassemble the cot and check all the screws, bolts etc against the list of parts in the manual. It is important that the manual and screws are secured in a good quality clear plastic bag and taped to the cot securely. The product manual will be essential for the new family to be able to assemble the cot correctly.
Geelong Mums volunteers double check every cot, ensuring that all the parts are present by checked them off against the assembly instructions before labelling and adding into stock with a unique stock code
Children’s cots, especially those with movable parts like a drop side, need extra care and attention. The drop side of a cot will be used repeatedly, with some degree of force, over an extended period of time. Drop sides can become loose due to the length of use, the quality of the timber, hardware and fastenings used. Cots with drop-down sides were banned in 2012 in the United States, where they have been blamed for the death of at least 46 American children in the past decade.
Cots that are re-assembled and used again can become less safe as a result of missing or loose fittings or damaged components and materials. Please check your cot carefully, check that any plastic housings for the drop side pins have not perished or become brittle with time.
If there is a screw missing or a screw bent, it will have to be replaced before it can be re-homed. Geelong Mums has relationships with many of the cot manufacturers in Australia, and can source replacement parts free of charge. It is helpful however if we can have the part ordered and on the way before you deliver the cot, to speed up the re-homing - especially when we have such a long wait list for cots.
(The fourth screw from the left was bent. Boori sent out a replacement in the post the next day)
Supplying household cots that do not comply with the mandatory standard could make Geelong Mums liable for heavy fines. For more details, view the ACCC website. But the risk of a fine is nothing compared to the risk to a child's safety. It is our policy to only pass on nursery gear that we would use for our own children.
Thank-you for reading this and if you have any further questions or comments about cot safety, please contact us.
]]>1,501 families across the Geelong Region got the help they needed to welcome their babies home and keep their children safe in the past 12 months from Geelong Mums valued at $544,396! And to think this is second hand value too!
Thank you! We could not have done this without your support.
Mums and dads, grandparents, aunts and uncles, foster carers all need a helping hand sometime.
Thanks to you we could respond quickly.
We rehomed 276 prams and strollers, 2,734 clothing and linen bundles, 179 cots and 239 car restraints...
...as well as many other essential nursery items from breast pumps to safety gates, maternity pads to nappy bags, bouncers, carriers, change tables, toys, books and many other tiny things too small to count!
We aim to help 2,000 families in Geelong over the next 12 months.
Babies will still arrive..
People will still need a helping hand...
With your support we will be ready and waiting to help them.
]]>St Kilda Mums, Geelong Mums and Eureka Mums received the Victoria Day Award for Public and Community Service by a Victorian Organisation 2016 at 11am on Friday July 1, 2016 at Melbourne Town Hall.
The Trustees of the Victoria Day Council have chosen Victorian charity St Kilda Mums, Geelong Mums and Eureka Mums to receive the award 165 years following the establishment of the state of Victoria. The awards celebrate Victoria’s foundation at the time of Separation from New South Wales on July 1, 1851.
St Kilda Mums was established in February 2009, on the front porch of co-founder and now CEO Jessica Macpherson. Jessica and four other mums wanted a way pass on their own children’s preloved baby gear to families in need. Six years later, the expanded network of St Kilda Mums, Geelong Mums and Eureka Mums in Ballarat has rehomed over 52,000 items.
The non-profit organisation collects and recycles donated cots, prams, bassinets, car restraints and other baby essentials which are then passed on via nurses and social workers to families experiencing hardship right across Victoria.
St Kilda Mums, Geelong Mums and Eureka Mums support more than 6,500 Victorian families each year.
St Kilda Mums CEO Jessica Macpherson and Kate Betts of Geelong Mums received the award on behalf of the group.
St Kilda Mums CEO Jessica Macpherson said, “We are honoured to receive this award and to be recognised for the work we do helping families across Victoria.”
“But the demand for our service only continues to grow and we need to be able to grow to meet the needs of Victorian families in need.” Jessica said she hopes the recognition this award brings to the charity’s work will encourage more volunteers to meet the demand.
“This award highlights just how vital and valuable our network of talented and generous volunteers is; not only to the families we help, but also to the future of our planet,” she said.
“From the grandmas who knit for us to the dads that might help with technical support, we rely on our volunteers.”
Geelong Mums welcomes both regular and workplace volunteers. New volunteers are encouraged to email volunteer@geelongmums.org to register their interest.
]]>There is no Australian Standard for change tables, so it’s important that we carefully consider the safety features of any change tables we are offered before trying to rehome it. We often have to say “no thank you” to donors with a change table to offer, and this blog post is designed to explain why.
A change table is a piece of furniture designed specifically for changing a baby's nappy at a comfortable height for the carer. It allows you to place your baby at a height where you can change a nappy with maximum convenience.
For most of the families we support it is a long way down the list of priorities and need. For many, especially those living in refuges or crisis accommodation, they have no room for a cot - let alone a change table.
Folding change tables are preferred as they can be collapsed and take up less space.
A quarter of childhood injuries in the home are as a result of a fall from nursery furniture. Serious injuries can happen when a baby rolls to the side and falls off the change table. Falls can occur in babies as young as three months. Head injuries are the most common injury, with many babies requiring hospital admission.
Babies falling up to 1.5 metres to the floor or onto another piece of furniture can suffer serious injuries, concussion and fractures. Three tier change tables have the additional risk of older siblings climbing up them, especially models with pull-out trays that can act as steps or unbalance the table.
For this reason we can only rehome a folding change table if it has sides of more than 10cm higher than the level of the foam mat, or a safety strap that does up over baby’s tummy. Folding change tables are preferred as they can be collapsed and take up less space. Three tier change tables have the additional risk of older siblings climbing up them, especially models with pull-out trays that can act as steps or unbalance the table.
Change tables with casters should have at least 2 casters that lock, and these should always be locked when the table is in use.
It is far safer for the adult to get down to the child’s level. If your back and knees allow, you can eliminate falling hazards altogether by changing your baby at floor level using a towel or change mat placed in a clean, dry area. This is the preference of many of the families we support, and the recommendation of the maternal child and health nurses and social workers we partner with.
There are four main types of change table, and Geelong Mums can only rehome the first type.
A popular combination is the bath and change table in one. In our experience these tend to be very lightweight and made of aluminium and plastic, which becomes brittle with age. Sadly many of them have damage to the foam cover on top and this is not something we can repair (see photo above).
Another popular furniture item is the combination of the change table and chest of drawers. We do not rehome large furniture like chest of drawers as they are too big and heavy to transport for donors, volunteers and social workers alike. We do not rehome the wooden change tables that sit on top of chest of drawers either as we have no way of ensuring that the family receiving has the correct piece of furniture to place it on. (This is the same reason why we do not rehome portable highchairs).
There is nothing to prevent you from trying to sell these items on ebay or give them away on Gumtree etc, just so long as you can supply the instructions for safe use and can explain to the new owner how they can be used safely. As for the bath/change table combination with the damaged foam - that is best taken to your local transfer or recycling station or hard rubbish.
The higher the fall the greater risk of injury so one hand should always be placed on baby while using a change table
It takes a split second for a child to roll off a change table so make sure all the clothes, wipes, nappies and other gear you need are within arm’s reach before you lay your baby on the change table.
Even if there is a harness strap, never leave a child alone on a change table
Teach older children to keep off the change table.
Make sure you don’t overload the side pouches.
If you have any feedback, questions or comments, please email safety@geelongmums.org.
Thanks to Choice Magazine, KidsSafe and Raising Children Network.
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