your life It’s
Geelong Mums
a great help to local families
Emma Hayward and Kate Brady in the Geelong Mums warehouse.
SIX years ago, five Geelong mums were trying to figure out what they would do with their cots, prams and car seats once their kids had outgrown them. They wanted to get the essential items to families in need - but how would they make that happen? The mums also knew many other parents who would love to make similar donations. So the group began collecting pre-loved baby and children's items from local homes. They also tracked down families doing it tough who would appreciate being gifted the donations. That's how Geelong Mums was born. Throughout the first year, the mums operated entirely from their own homes and a small shed, helping nearly 300 families along the way. Fast forward to 2019 and Geelong Mums has two warehouses, seven staff members and more than 750 volunteers. Importantly, the not-for-profit organisation is helping an incredible amount of families in need. Last financial year alone, Geelong Mums supported over 6000 babies and children. Teamwork coordinator Kelly Suvoltos says the generosity of the Geelong community has been truly amazing. "We have these massive big trolleys - we probably average 8-10 that we fill with donations each day," she said. "We can put a callout on a Friday, then on Saturday morning we have people dropping off those items." The donations consist of nursery equipment, clothing, books and toys for babies and school-aged children. The items are generally dropped off at the organisation's warehouses on Balliang Street, South Geelong, where they are sorted and prepared for distribution. Social workers, support workers, and child and maternal health workers come and collect the donated items for distribution. Bags of clothing are even wrapped for recipient families. "Last year we gave out 4500 bags of clothing," Kelly said. "We wrap up the bags of clothes to make them look like a present, so it's something they (the recipient) can feel good about. "A social worker recently told us www.geelongcoastkids.com.au
Geelong Mums Teamwork coordinator Kelly Suvoltos.
about a boy, aged 6 or 7, who had never been given a present before and he did a little fashion parade of everything that was in there." Geelong Mums also relies on financial donations to enable them to help families and cover running costs. For the past four years, the organisation has held an annual Mother's Day luncheon which has raised hundreds of thousands. This year, the ladies lunch at Mt Duneed Estate Winery - which featured auctions and raffles - raised an incredible $107,000.
Kate McLennan addresses the crowd at the Geelong Mums fundraiser, held on the Friday before Mother's Day.
"It means a lot for this place - that sort of money goes a long way," Kelly said. "Cots and car seats are purchased with that money ... if we don't have those things being donated we purchase those." Geelong Mums helps families doing it tough in a variety of situations, including those experiencing domestic violence, parents suffering financial hardship and refugees. They also assist foster and kinship carers.
Deirdre Mackechnine and Kate Betts at the Geelong Mums fundraiser in May.
Bernadette Sandwith prepares some clothes for donation.
Kelly says the organisation can even assist in emergencies at short-notice. "It could be a mother escaping a domestic violence situation and they've been left with nothing," she said. "They can take a bag of clothes and sheets to put on the bed that night. Because we have stock on standby we can respond quickly in emergency situations." If you donate items to Geelong Mums, you can rest assured they will go to families who really need them. Also, donating to the organisation is easy. You simply need to take your items to the charity's headquarters at 110 Balliang Street, Geelong South during opening hours. They are open for donations 9am-3pm on weekdays and 9.30am-11.30am on Saturdays. Items that can be donated include baby towels, activity mats or baby gyms, art and craft materials, baths, blankets, books, clothing from birth to size 16, cot linen and blankets, games, nappies and toiletries. Cots must be no older than 10 years old, and car seats must have been newly purchased within the past eight years. There are also mandatory safety standards for prams and strollers. For a full list of items that can be donated, visit https://www.geelongmums.org/ Information about financial donations can also be found at the website.
Some of the Geelong Mums team ... Judy Long, Penny Lancaster, Emma Hayward, Kelly Suvoltos, Geraldine Niven, April Scala, Margaret Burke, Varie Neal and Elise Perry. Pictures: Louisa Jones
12419606-SN23-19
By Melissa Grant
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