Dear community!
Our impact - in numbers
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.
A beautiful thank you from Social Worker, Lisa
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 Carroll - 10 years as a Geelong Mums Volunteer
Photo: L-R Judy and Linda
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.
Donation Collaboration - Werribee Holiday Inn
Photo: Sarah delivering her amazing collection
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.
Workplace Volunteering
Photo: Cisco workplace volunteers on the tools
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.
Photo: RACV Torquay Resort workplace volunteers ready to go
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!
Four special women fundraise for us
Photo: Esther, Demi, Phoebe and Steph
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.
Geelong Mums Business Breakfast
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