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Lizards ELC partner with Baby Give Back to make a difference in the community
Freya Lucas
Jul 18, 2019
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Community support and connection has been evident in spades at Guardian centre Lizards ELC in the month of July, with fundraising efforts by the centre already described as “overwhelming” only half way through the month.
Partnering with Gold Coast charity, Baby Give Back, the Lizards ELC families and children have supported the charities mission of recycling and rehoming donated new and second-hand baby items to families in need, after processing them through safety checks.Baby Give Back has partnerships with a range of social services agencies and networks across South Brisbane and the Gold Coast.
Centre Managers Catherine Schultz and Julie Sommerville were drawn to support not only to develop community ties, but also because the Baby Give Back initiative is an avenue for families to support other families which doesn’t require a large money or time spend.
Families have donated a variety of items thus far, including baby clothes, baby equipment, infant’s toys and toiletries for both new mums and their babies.
Ms Sommerville says the response has been overwhelming, adding “we will have a couple of large bags to donate at the end of the month. Our back office is filling up quickly”.
As is often the case, the collection activity has sparked conversation between children and families about the value of helping others, and sustainability.
“It helps them understand the concept of repurposing something they’ve got at home – but don’t need anymore – and passing it on to someone else,” explained Ms Schultz.
So far, children from the kindy room have had the most involvement, as they regularly comment and check in on the donations during drop-off and pick-up each day – but it is still early on in the month, and the team are excited to see where the project leads in terms of learning experiences and conversations.
Baby Give Back has a collection point in Burleigh but are likely to send some of their volunteers to the centre to collect the donations directly, which will be a rewarding experience for the families, children and educators alike.
“We are thrilled to be giving these families even just a little bit back for a journey that’s supposed to be exciting – not a struggle,” Ms Schultz and Ms Sommerville said.
To learn more about Baby Give Back, visit their website here.
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