Every donation makes an impact

GEELONG Mums – and its sister groups St Kilda Mums and Eureka Mums – are supported entirely by the generosity of the community and philanthropy.

The generous donations each year mean the organisation can help babies and children stay safe, support families to feel valued and connected, assist more social workers and maternal health nurses in their work with Victoria’s most vulnerable families, and prevent more quality pre-loved nursery equipment, children’s clothing, books and toys from needlessly ending up in landfill.

In the 2019/20 financial year, 98 per cent of the 18,574 items Geelong Mums rehomed to babies and children were donated.

According to the Geelong Mums “impact tree”, which it produces each year, these items had a financial value of more than $2.1 million.

They included:

• 3,882 clothing bundles
• 1,957 toy and book bags
• 1,204 linen bundles
• 389 car seats, and
• 310 prams and strollers.

Geelong Mums general manager Julia Roache said it was hard to measure social impact, but the organisation providing “what seem like fairly small pieces of equipment” went a long way.

“By giving a mother, possibly a single mother, a cot and a car seat, which she would have to go out and purchase for $600 to $1,000, that allows her to possibly make sure her child can get to daycare and she can do some study that is going to further her and get her out of systemic or generational poverty, or help her get educated, or help her get to work every day,” Ms Roache said.

“We see ourselves as a really vital cog in keeping people out of poverty and allowing them to make choices: Can I get an education? Is it possible for me to leave this situation that might not be the best for my family?”