ALICIA S. COOK<\/p>\n
EACH year, the Rotary clubs of Bendigo and South Bendigo host a Christmas market with the aim of raising funds for the community.<\/p>\n
Last year’s efforts came to $5000 which the clubs donated to Sunshine Bendigo, a charity that supplies baby goods to families in crisis.<\/p>\n
The funds were used to purchase items including prams, car seats, and cots, which founder of Sunshine, Glenda Serpell, said were a big help.<\/p>\n
“Families in crisis are usually without funds or the accessibility of funds to purchase these things for their babies,” she said.<\/p>\n
New parents can’t leave hospital with newborns without a safe means of transport, and having a car seat or pram can mean the difference between being mobile or stuck at home.<\/p>\n
“These are crucial things, and cots also,” she said. “A safe place to sleep, a safe way of transport and the ability to be out and about.”<\/p>\n
Ms Serpell said financial donations help the organisation to fulfill needs for larger items that aren’t met by community donations of second-hand goods.<\/p>\n
“There’s 36 orders ready to go out to people that are in crisis situation, so it’s fantastic, words can’t explain how beneficial this is to our organisation,” she said.<\/p>\n
Sunshine Bendigo was selected as the beneficiary of the funds as one of Rotary’s core values is to support mothers and babies.<\/p>\n
“Sunshine was just perfect, it just fitted into everything we wanted to do,” said Libby Hughes, committee member for the Rotary Christmas Market.<\/p>\n
“It was a community event, the market, and we wanted it to go to a local charity and to help local people,” she said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
ALICIA S. COOK EACH year, the Rotary clubs of Bendigo and South Bendigo host a Christmas market with the aim of raising funds for the community. Last year’s efforts came to $5000 which the clubs donated to Sunshine Bendigo, a charity that supplies baby goods to families in crisis. The funds were used to purchase […]<\/p>\n