This month’s newsletter features our recently released annual report, a fond goodbye, and a warm welcome. Please don’t miss our donor survey at the end - it's an invitation for you to get involved in shaping our future…

Our Annual Report is available (to print or read) on the St Kilda Mums website now. It’s jam-packed with key facts and figures that show how successful our recycle, reuse and re-home practices are. The report also features stories and case studies that illustrate the immense difference your generous donations make in the lives of families with babies and young children.

Last year we rehomed 27,528 items, bringing the total number of items saved from landfill since 2009 to:

74,594

The total value of items rehomed was $2.2M at second hand value, which represents a total of

$4.4M

savings to Victoria’s social service agencies.

Social worker Denise Smith writes:

"Beyond the provision of practical items, your organisation also engenders public empathy towards families experiencing vulnerability” 

We could not do all of this without your support, so thank you again for sharing our belief that every child deserves the same safe start to life.

 

Thank you Peta

We recently farewelled (founding committee member and chair) Peta Magick and welcomed our new chair Linda Grace.

Peta was at our very first meeting - sitting around my kitchen table one very hot evening back in February 2009. Peta developed our first volunteering policies and wrote our guiding principles.

We used Peta's garage in East St Kilda as our first storage facility (after my front porch) to house early donations before we moved into the double garage in the laneway in Elwood. Here is Peta in the Port Phillip Leader with baby Eve (now in grade 3).

Over the years, Peta has been an amazing source of inspiration, strength, ideas and leadership to all of us.

From that very first meeting in 2009, Peta has worked tirelessly in a variety of key roles, including:

• volunteer social service liaison 2009 - 2013
• volunteer notes secretary 2009 - 2015, and
• Chair, St Kilda Mums Inc Committee of Management 2015 - 2016.

In her capacity as social service liaison, Peta answered all requests for assistance and built the foundations of relationships we now have with maternal and child health nurses, social workers and social service agencies.

Without her enthusiasm, persuasiveness, confidence and industrious spirit St Kilda Mums, Geelong Mums and Eureka Mums would not have been possible. For this - and her ability to out-boogie anyone on the dance floor - we are forever grateful.

Although she has stepped down from our Committee of Management, Peta will still be involved in the future as a volunteer. She continues her important work in the not-for-profit sector as a Program Manager at (ABCN) Australian Business and Community Network.

Thank you Peta for your passion, boundless energy, dedication and commitment to making the world a better place for us all. 
 

Introducing Linda Grace

I would like to introduce our new chair Linda Grace. She is a commercial lawyer who has practiced both  privately and in-house, at a number of large corporate organisations. Linda has also been involved with a number of not-for-profit organisations. Before joining the Committee of Management, she also served on our fundraising sub-committee for three years:

“When I began volunteering with St Kilda Mums as a bundler and pro bono legal adviser in 2012, I was blown away by what the organisation had achieved in such a short space of time, particularly because St Kilda Mums is made possible by the efforts of our volunteers and the boundless commitment of its founders. This is what inspired me to initially get  involved. Every day I am moved by the great need for the services we provide. I’m also in awe of the generosity of our donors, volunteers, and the St Kilda Mums' staff. I am very honoured and excited about my appointment as Chair (of this amazing organisation) and am thrilled to be serving as Chair. 2016 was a record year for St Kilda Mums, and I am excited about what 2017 has in store for us!”.

 

Did you know?

Did you know that the fastest-growing household waste in Australia is clothing? Australians send more than $500 million of clothing to the tip each year. Re-use is the most sustainable way to deal with unwanted textiles.

Our sister organisation Little Village in the UK asked some consultants at Accenture to help calculate the environmental impact of their work. If St Kilda Mums were to use the same calculation, we would have saved

2,584

tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (Co2e) in the past year. Put more simply, that's the same impact as removing

969 cars

from the road over a year. You can read more about textile waste in Australia here...

 

Crochet lessons resume

If you would like to learn how to crochet like this — now is your chance. Fortnightly crochet lessons begin at St Kilda Mums on Tuesday evenings from 7.30 pm on 7 February.  Come join us for a night of fun, laughter, and good yarn (ha ha) all while you’re learning a new skill and making a difference! You can register your interest here.
 

 

Donor Survey

 

We are kicking off the New Year with a donor survey. 

We are really keen to hear your ideas - and it's never been more important than now for you to tell us what you think. 

Help us shape our future, by completing this very quick 5 minute survey. Thank you again, Jessica Macpherson, CEO.