Hear from one of our team members for the inside scoop!
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Hi there Valued Supporter,
My name is Helen and I'm the Program Manager for the Outbound and Networks team here at Geelong Mums – which probably means little to you, but I essentially look after everything that leaves the warehouse.
I assist social workers, every day, from all over Victoria. I hear about the children and families they work with and listen to their stories. My team and I work through our waiting list to make sure each family gets the essential items they need for their babies and children.
In order for that to happen, we need to juggle thousands of requests over the year depending on what resources we have available. It can be challenging and complicated.
The hardest part of our job is when we have to say “sorry, no, we don’t have all the items to assist you”. It’s frustrating for us, disappointing for the social worker and distressing for the client. When we can’t fill an order, it's heartbreaking for everyone involved.
That’s why we still need your support Valued Supporter. We would love to fill every social worker’s request and not have to make the call to say – “Sorry, we don’t have those items right now”. But the reality is, it costs money to open the doors at Geelong Mums. We have a large warehouse to run and deliveries to make. Especially right now, with Christmas Day in 10 days and children counting on us!
The good news is that, because of your support Valued Supporter, we were able to help over 20,000 babies and children last year. It’s hard to imagine that many families needing help in Victoria so let me paint you a picture of those statistics. Meet Britney;
Britney was a nurse who fell pregnant during the early days of the COVID pandemic. She was hesitant to get the vaccine at that time because there was little known about the impact for pregnant women. She couldn’t continue nursing and lost her job. Things got rough for her after that. Not working made her vulnerable – she lost her identity not being a nurse and she couldn't provide for herself anymore. She was also in a toxic relationship that became violent when her partner found out she was pregnant. She left him and found herself pregnant, alone, with no job and nowhere to live. Her future was daunting and scary, and she seriously considered having an abortion. Finally, she was able to secure somewhere to live but she had nothing to furnish it – not even for the baby. She distinctly remembers being 8 months pregnant
and sleeping on a blow-up mattress. Britney was connected to Geelong Mums through her case worker. She received a cot, bedding, a pram and a clothing bundle for the first 12 months of her baby’s life. She couldn’t believe it. The stress she felt disappeared, and she managed to deliver a healthy baby girl.
The good news stories don’t stop there. Simply because of supporters just like you Valued Supporter, we were thrilled to help Noor* too;
Noor is pregnant with her first baby – due any day now! It's not the exciting time she hoped for though. Noor left Afghanistan earlier this year due to the increasing safety concerns for women in her home country. She knew it would be much safer to be with her family in Melbourne and so she gladly took the opportunity. Her husband however did not qualify for a visa and is still in Afghanistan. When she found out she was pregnant, she was flooded with emotions, thrilled to be having her first baby but devastated to do it alone. She has kept busy during her pregnancy, working as an interpreter and translator, but she struggles with loneliness and misses her husband. Her work has allowed her to support herself somewhat, but it wasn’t enough to provide some of the essentials she needed for her baby. She had no savings, so her plan was to save
up over her baby’s first year to buy either a pram or a cot. Instead, she was connected to Geelong Mums and her stress and worries disappeared. She received a pram and a cot, clothing bundles and toiletries. She said she was overwhelmed with the generosity and that it made all the difference to her. She is now excited to bring home her newborn and start the next chapter of her life.
I have been working at Geelong Mums for 11 years and honestly, I could share stories like these all day with you. The harder stories to share are when we don’t have the resources to help families to the level we need. During the Festive Season stress levels are higher, need is increased, and time is limited. That’s why I am asking you to help us out today. This Festive Season, please give a gift that really counts. Donate today and change a child’s life.
My team and I thank you for your support – we couldn’t do it without you.
Helen Montgomery
Program Manager - Outbound and Networks Team
P.P.S If you have already given to our Festive Appeal - THANK YOU! - please accept our apologies for this email crossing paths with your generous donation.
*We have changed the name of our recipient for privacy reasons.
