Hi 

I hope you’re keeping safe and well. The situation changes every day here and I’m sure it does for you too. 

Our CEO Jessie spoke with a Maternal & Child Health Nurse this week. She called to thank her for a financial gift she made and they started talking about the families she’s helping.  

One of the families is a mum on her own; a refugee with a 6 month old baby. She’s raising her baby alone since her husband was deported during the pregnancy for being incredibly violent. Her refugee-asylum seeker status means she’s ineligible for Centrelink payments, but receives a small income of $300 per month from an immigration support service.
 
She lives with her baby in a shared townhouse. Apart from the kitchen, bathroom and bedroom, she doesn’t have access to any other space. 
 
This mum desperately needs a long list of items. Baby clothing, toys, a pram, safety gates (her room is upstairs), nappies, toiletries and items to feed her baby with - a little set of forks, spoons, plates and bowls. 
 
She has no family in Australia.
 
We’ve already provided some of the items. The mum said they’ve helped her feel like "a real mother". Her confidence and connection with her baby has grown. 
 
Her amazing Maternal & Child Health Nurse said: 

“This is why I make financial donations to you and now my husband does as well. We will continue to do this as we recognise how fortunate we are and the importance of helping other families enjoy the experience of parenthood. Stay safe and thanks for all that you do for our vulnerable families”. 

It was exactly what we needed to hear at a time when everything seems so uncertain. 
 
One thing I know for sure is that we can always rely on our generous community to come together and help us when we so desperately need it. 
 
COVID-19 means we’re unable to accept donations of pre-loved goods at the moment. We can’t wait for the day that changes. 
 
But for now, can you please help us by making a donation to our emergency appeal? Can you please help today so we can keep our doors open for as long as possible and support more families like this one?

Although we’ve been forced to temporarily close our doors to our incredible volunteers, we’re still helping families with a tiny team of staff.

March was our busiest month on record - we helped more babies and children than ever before. 2,227 babies and children were supported across our three branches - Geelong Mums, St Kilda Mums and Eureka Mums (Ballarat).

693 of those babies and children were supported out of our warehouse here in Geelong. It’s fair to say our small number of staff are at capacity and our stocks are now running low. 

There are another 939 babies and children waiting for essential items right now. And the number keeps rising each day. 

We need your financial support so we can buy new goods and keep supporting families during this time of awful uncertainty. 

You can help provide a cot so that a newborn baby has a safe place to sleep. Or nappies for those families who struggle to pay for basics let alone stockpile in a time of crisis. 

This pandemic has shown us that the need is greater than ever before. There are so many families who are struggling and even more falling into poverty. It’s critical we help as many as we can now, in case further restrictions mean we can no longer do so.

Please donate whatever you can today, so together, we can support families in desperate need. 

Thank you in advance and please take good care of yourself. 

Warm regards

Julia 

Julia Roache 
General Manager
0417 032 825 
[email protected]

PS. Have you ever thought about joining our "Give to Grow" community of regular monthly donors? It's a great way to support us right now. It will allow us to plan for the future at a time that's so uncertain. Please click here if you're able to sign up today