News from Our Village to you.

Hi Our Villager!

Things are very busy here at Our Village! We have lots of goods coming in the doors, orders going out by the van load to agencies ready to rehome to babies and children in need, volunteers sorting and bundling and to top all of that off – the team are getting ready to host 500 guests at our annual Mother's Day Lunch in Melbourne for the fundraising event of the year! Phew! 

Our Newsletter this month is packed full of thank yous, impact updates, heart-warming stories, a chance for you to WIN BIG and a very special invitation – just for you ! Make sure you scroll down and don't miss your invite for something special at Our Village.

We are so incredibly grateful for your support. Whether you have donated goods, your time, made a financial donation, hosted a fundraiser or attended an event – your support is the reason we can open the warehouse doors and get on with delivering essential items to the babies and children who urgently need them. Thank you so much! 💚

Fred (and all of us!) say THANK YOU!

Recently we asked for help to keep our van – and van driver Fred! – on the road. With the skyrocketing fuel prices, we were spending more and more money at the petrol pumps – simply to ensure we could pick up and deliver essential items to the babies and children waiting for them.

You, our amazing Villagers, donated nearly $10,000 – enough to keep the petrol tank of the van full for quite some time!

Fred is especially delighted at the positive response! THANK YOU! 💚

Look what happens because of YOUR support…

Occasionally we see past recipients of our service donate essential items back to us directly. When this happens, it’s truly heart-warming.

Recently, a donor arrived at our warehouse with several bags of baby clothing to donate. She said these simple words:

“You helped us when we fled….”

Our volunteer at the warehouse door thanked her for the items and wished her well. As the donor was heading back to her car she said:

“We are in a much better place now….”

Your support really does make a huge difference to babies, children and families every day ! 🥰

Big Prizes. Bigger Impact!

This year, there are over $35,000 worth of prizes up for grabs in our annual raffle. We have indulgent luxury escapes, original artwork, shopping sprees, spa treatments and more!

Every ticket helps support a mum in need by provide the essentials she needs for her baby. So while you're in it to win it – you're also making a real difference.

The draw will take place on Monday 11 May – so why not get a ticket (or a few!) and be in with a chance to win the perfect treat for the mum or mother figure in your life this Mother's Day! Or, keep the prize for yourself! Good Luck! 

Goods Donation Spotlight – Cuteness Alert!

The very talented Bev from Roseville Retirement Village expertly crafted these adorable little soft toys and donated them to Our Village!

Every pram that leaves the warehouse is always accompanied by a blanket and a soft toy – turning that essential item delivered to a family in need, into more like a loving gift from the Village that cares.

These new, gorgeous creations will make a perfect addition to many prams in the coming weeks. Thank you Bev and all of the amazing Our Village crafters!

Mother's Day is almost here and with it, the chance for you to be the Village every mum deserves – by hosting a fundraiser!

A small fundraiser with your friends, family, workplace or community can make a big difference:

• With friends or family – Host a morning tea or lunch, organise a trivia night, or set yourself a challenge like a walk or run.

• At work – organise a shared lunch, run a raffle or host a wellness activity like a step challenge.

• Or simply nominate Our Village as the charity partner of any upcoming Mother’s Day events or celebrations you’re involved in.

Ready to make a difference? Start your fundraiser today.

EXCLUSIVE INVITATION FOR YOU...

You are invited to a "behind the scenes" tour of Our Village!

In appreciation of your incredible support, we’re opening our warehouse doors to show you first-hand, the impact your generosity has made on the lives of thousands of babies and children this year!

Come and share a cup of tea with our our team and see the magic happen in our warehouse as we get the chance to say "THANK YOU" in person for your amazing, ongoing support.

Warehouse Tour Details:

What? A tour of our working warehouse and a chance to see the real, tangible impact of your support.

When? 10.00am, Wednesday 3 June 2026

Where? We have two warehouse locations to choose from:

Melbourne Warehouse: 14 Winterton Road, Clayton

or

Geelong Warehouse: 110 Balliang Street, South Geelong 

You are welcome to bring a guest with you – please include their details in your RSVP. 

Please RSVP with your location choice by Friday 22 May by emailing us at [email protected]. 

We really hope you're able to join us and see Our Village in action. We can't wait to say "THANK YOU" in person!

Financial Donation Spotlight – Go Cats!

This month we were honoured to receive a $10,000 donation from retired AFLW player Kate Darby. 

Last year, Kate won the AFL Jim Stynes Community Leadership Award and chose to donate a charitable contribution to Our Village. Being a young mum herself, Kate has donated to us several times in the past as she loves our community work.

Fotini, our Supporter Experience Coordinator and Merrin from our Geelong warehouse team were thrilled to join Kate on a very cold and wet night at GMHBA Stadium – watching the Geelong Cats – to receive the special cheque. 

They even made it on the big screen! Thank you Kate!

Special Visitor pops into see the team in action!

We were proud to host the Hon. Lizzie Blandthorn MP, Minister for Children and Minister for Disability, at our Melbourne warehouse, to see how our service works and meet the people behind our work.

The visit was a great opportunity to share how our team and volunteers support babies an children across Victoria with essential items, and the growing demand we're seeing from families and frontline services.

Thank you Minister for taking the time to visit and hear directly from our community, we are extremely grateful for the opportunity to share out story.

Thank you for your ongoing support for vulnerable babies and children, we truly appreciate you being a vital part of Our Village.

We simply couldn't do what we do, without you !

The Our Village Team

P.S. Don't forget to RSVP to one of our warehouse tours! We would love to see you at either our Melbourne or Geelong Warehouse in June!

Ways to get involved with Our Village