Pressing:On - Rolling Showcase 2022

Meet Mat Bowtell from Free 3D Hands - the engineer changing the lives of people with hand differences by designing bespoke 3D printed assistive devices.

Open Table serves delicious lunches using rescued food.

Food Security & Homelessness

Driven by a desire to help those who need it most, Homelessness & Food Security are the charitable causes dearest to Pressroom Philanthropy.

Food and shelter are basic human needs that most of us probably take for granted. But unfortunately, there are far too many people in our community who find themselves unexpectedly homeless and even more who don’t know where their next meal is coming from.

“In even the toughest of times, some things in life are a privilege.”

At Pressroom Philanthropy it is an honour to help our Charity Partners – to make their work a little easier and bring their goals closer to within their reach. Whether it’s design, printing, resourcing or fundraising, it’s our honour to lend a hand

More than ever, this feeling has a very personal meaning for me.

Earlier this year my sister passed away after a life-long battle with Anorexia and Leukaemia. The preceding months were punctuated with many trips to hospitals and visits to the oncologists at Peter Mac.

As I drove her down from Riddell’s Creek, we shared a many happy recollections of our childhood and family life that we had enjoyed. Thanking me for driving the four hour round trip, she would quietly say “I’d do it for you” and I’m sure she would have.

I felt it was a deep privilege that we were there the night she passed, to hold her hand and to give her all our love and say our goodbyes.

Our Charity Partners never cease to astound me with this same ethos – helping strangers through the toughest times in their lives. I am touched by the work of Heartfelt photographers, finding their own courage and compassion to take tender photos of stillborn babies for grieving parents. I am moved by the work of Eating Disorders Families Australia, who use ‘lived experience’ - their own family traumas - to help others survive and thrive.

You’ll read about these and more charities in this issue of Pressing On. There are moments that keep us all going. When our Charity Partners harness these moments to make this world a better place, the hard work becomes an honour – one that’s worth celebrating.

Best Wishes,

"I love it when a new Heartfelt photographer can have a moment with a grieving family and feel a profound realisation of how special it is to help someone through their heartbreak with their skills.”

Gavin Blue OAM, Heartfeft Founder & President

“There was no one to turn to about eating disorders. When I spoke to other parents, I realised that my family’s story of recovery was important for others to hear when they were deep in the trenches themselves.”

Christine Naismith, Co-founder, Eating Disorders Families Australia

Pressroom Philanthropy

Level 19, 41 Exhibition St, Melbourne 3000 Phone: 03 8579 6300

Email: philanthropy@pressroompartners.com.au

Web: pressroomphilanthropy.com.au

Pressroom Philanthropy is a division of Pressroom Partners

Copywriter

Kaz Docking from Write Type Copy kaz@writetypecopy.com.au

Cover image

Free 3D Hands prosthetic hand - Incredible tech within our grasp. See story page 4

Two things seem to go hand in hand: The hard work of helping others, and a sense of privilege in being able to help.

Manufacturing Joy!!

For people living with an upper-limb difference, it’s difficult to access an assistive device that helps with everyday activities. People born with congenital hand difference can now access functioning 3D printed hands. This can be life changing

Thanks to Mat Bowtell and his team, children and adults can access assistive devices that are designed and manufactured to their hand’s specification – for free. The bespoke hands are 3D printed and delivered to their recipients, fully funded by Free 3D Hands.

Mat freely shares his designs under an open-source licence so others can make and repair their own devices. Mat's goal is to significantly reduce the cost of assistive technology to help those who cannot access or afford it.

The impact is particularly evident for children who have partial fingers, thumbs and/or palms, who usually can’t access traditional prosthetics due to unique hand differences. And as children naturally rapidly grow, frequent ‘upsizing’ of traditional solutions is prohibitively expensive.

Technology within our grasp: 3D print technology and Mat’s open-source design, mean these bespoke assistive devices can be manufactured locally at minimal cost and shared globally.

Our devices help kids have a go at doing things they ordinarily can’t do. They can try riding a bike, stabilizing the handlebars and steering. Kids can perform everyday tasks like picking up and placing objects, putting a lid on a bottle, catching a ball, even playing chords on the piano.”

- Peta Strachan, Operations Manager.

This innovation is phenomenal, and it’s just the beginning of what Free 3D Hands can achieve. Pressroom Philanthropy has come on board to help free up Mat’s own hands, with a new website and a professional capability brochure.

Operations Manager Peta Strachan explains, “We’ve had to question every cent we spend on materials, and every minute we spend building a website, when we could be putting that towards helping provide another hand for another kid in need. Pressroom has taken the pressure off this side of our charity so we can get on with this life-changing work.”

Meet Mat Bowtell

Mat Bowtell is the founder and CEO of Free 3D Hands. Mat was working as an engineer for Toyota before his redundancy in 2017 when the automotive industry shut down. With his engineering skills, he made one hand for one kid, using one 3D printer. This grew to two printers on the dining table, then six printers in the spare room. When Mat was named the Australian of the Year: Vic Local Hero for 2018 for this work, he knew what he wanted to do with his future.

Free 3D Hands is a charity based in Australia that uses 3D printing technology to design and manufacture hands and assistive devices for free.

They share designs and collaborate with others around the world to accelerate development and make assistive technology more accessible.

Find out more at www.free3dhands.org

Mat and his wife Yuka worked for two years to design and 3D print hands. He relocated with his family to his hometown of Phillip Island, working out of his garage. In 2019 the opportunity arose to lease a factory, and through generous support Mat established Free 3D Hands as a registered charity.

Mat has now made hundreds of hands and assistive devices for people around the world. In 2020 he released a Kinetic Hand design under an open-source licence which has already been downloaded over 5500 times. By openly sharing, more people will be able to access or afford the technology they need.

Free 3D Hands are in the business of bringing smiles to many.

Bon Appetite!

Healthy food makes for a healthy community

Food wastage is a major problem in Australia. Equally concerning is the number of families struggling to put nutritious food on the table. Food insecurity and food waste are the two community problems that Open Table tackles. By diverting unused food to the tables of those in need, recipients gain a healthy diet and nourishing community connections.

One of the unique characteristics of Open Table is that its services are accessible to everybody. There is no referral system and eligibility criteria, with no limit on how much food anyone can take. Open Table simply wants food to be used and enjoyed, and not end up in landfill.

Australians waste 7.6 million tonnes of food each year - 70% of this is perfectly edible. At the same time, we know one in six Australians goes hungry each week. Open Table supplies food that would otherwise go to waste to people who need it.”

Angela explains, “We’re helping people who really need the food, as well as helping others who really need the connection – coming together with their community. If people enjoy the food and have the dignity of choice, then our job is

Recently, Open Table successfully secured a grant to buy an electric van, and then held a fundraising campaign through Ethical Jobs to equip the van with refrigeration. This means they can now rescue more food, keep it fresher for longer, and deliver it to the communities in need.

Pressroom Philanthropy is working with Open Table to develop their materials including signage for their van. Angela explains how important van branding is: “When we arrive at community centres, libraries and housing estates without any branding, people don’t know who they’re interacting with, and that they’re part of something community-building.”

Exciting new Van graphics designed and supplied by Pressroom Philanthropy to help Open Table be recognised on the road.

Branding is incredibly important for charities to become known for who they are, what they do, and why they do it. Angela adds, “When 100% of our time is spent on our charitable activities, it’s very helpful to have knowledgeable people to turn to. Small charities don’t have the means to do marketing properly. It’s brilliant to have someone to help us know where to start.”

Open Table continues to expand their reach, tackling food insecurity and food waste with:

• Free weekly community lunches in North Fitzroy run by a rotation of 25 – 30 kitchen volunteers cooking produce they have rescued, plus a pantry and produce market.

• Free fortnightly community lunches in Fawkner also run by volunteers, feeding many young migrant families, and keeping children busy with Open Table colouring-in placemats.

• Free food markets - pop-up food relief in key Melbourne communities

• No Waste Cook Club, soon to be held in their new space. Food waste education workshops are an important addition to Open Table’s mission.

Food really does help community come together. People come to Open Table for the nutritious, delicious meals, and leave with wide smiles and new friends.

Open Table shares free food with those in need in neighbourhoods across Melbourne. They use surplus food that would otherwise be thrown away and turn it into nutritious meals to share with the community, in order to reduce food insecurity and food waste.

Find out more at www.open-table.org

Making reading fun, so no child is left behind

Children who are struggling with reading can suffer from low self-esteem. Story Dogs supports classroom teachers to foster confident, lifelong readers.

Story Dogs is a literacy support program where volunteers and their dogs visit primary schools to facilitate one-on-one reading with young children. This supports the traditional ‘remedial reading’ approach and creates a positive exciting experience outside the classroom – with a friendly furry friend!

Janine Sigley, Co-founder of Story Dogs, explains, “When a child reads with a Story Dog, all judgment is gone. The dog doesn't mind if the student makes a mistake. The child can relax and just start to have fun with reading.”

She describes how volunteers can use the dog to build confidence:

Purpose-designed brochures make it easier for volunteers to explain the benefits of Story Dogs to potential sponsors.

“Sammy (the dog) doesn’t know what’s happening on this page.

Can you explain it to him?” Suddenly the child becomes the dog’s teacher, which is a touching outcome.

Feedback from schools shows that children start to realise the fun of reading and participate more with increased confidence.

Story:Dogs

Janine reflects that this also can help absenteeism – they are excited to come to school on ‘Story Dog Day’.

As a charity, Story Dogs has established a funding structure to ensure its longevity. There are currently 580 volunteers and dogs working in 370 schools across Australia. Each dog annually costs $500 to cover training, accreditation, materials, and insurance. With over 50 schools on their waitlist, the question was, how can Story Dogs continue to cover expenses to fulfil the growing need?

The answer was: individual dog sponsorship. Each ‘dog team’ seeks out a local sponsor or donor to fund their dog for one year. This approach means local businesses directly support their communities, and their sponsored dog proudly wears the business’ logo on their dog vest. However, it can be daunting for a volunteer to simply ask for a $500 sponsorship or donation.

- Janine Sigley, Co-founder of Story Dogs.

The key is having a visual prompt that easily explains all the features and benefits of sponsorship, plus an easy way to sign up. Pressroom Philanthropy has helped by creating purposedesigned brochures that make it easier for volunteers to explain Story Dogs to potential sponsors.

Janine reports, “Having materials to give to potential sponsors is so important. These beautiful brochures that Pressroom Philanthropy has produced give our volunteers the confidence to approach sponsors. It doesn’t feel like such a hard-sell, especially when they have their dog with them!”

Story Dogs has successfully gained sponsorship for 60% of their dogs, aiming to increase that to 80% over the next year. Janine says there is more room to grow, “There are over 6000 primary schools in Australia. We’d love a Dog Team in every school, so we have only scratched the surface.”

Story Dogs aims to turn children with reading difficulties into confident lifelong readers. ‘At risk’ students read with a trained volunteer and their dog in weekly reading sessions outside the classroom.

Find out more at www.storydogs.org.au

When my dog Buddy and I would walk through the school gates, you could hear the excitement amongst the children: ‘The Story Dog is here! The Story Dog is here!’ It is a nice feeling to be able to help children and see them progress.”

New Salvos Cookbook helps make ends meet

There’s no doubt the ongoing pandemic and increasing cost of living are having a significant impact. The Salvation Army Melbourne has noticed a new cohort of people needing to access services. A cookbook by The Salvation Army Melbourne Project 614 will help struggling families make ends meet.

People who have been living on ‘the breadline’ are the first to notice the impact of rising costs. This has led to a new cookbook – Meals to Make Ends Meet. Serving hundreds of free meals every single day at Salvos 614’s on-site Magpie Nest Café, Chef Adam Thomson has become an expert at stretching resources and getting creative with what the kitchen makes.

Meals to Make Ends Meet is not only full of great recipes - it also tells people they’re not alone. We know there are tough times coming, and we know people are afraid of the impact. We’d like to say, ‘Here's a little gift from us.’ It’s a reminder that Salvos 614 is here to help if things do get tougher.”

See more at www.salvosproject614.com.au.

With Adam’s café menu as the inspiration, this cookbook is a practical resource for making nutritious, costeffective meals.

Under the command of Major Brendan Nottle, The Salvation Army Melbourne Project 614 are well known for their effective outreach programs, from food to housing, and beyond.

Pressroom Philanthropy is proud to be an ongoing supporter of Salvos Melbourne Project 614.

When Pressroom Philanthropy heard about their cookbook idea, it was an easy collaboration to bring Adam’s recipes to life by designing and printing Meals to Make Ends Meet

Tameka reflected on the partnership, “We took the seed of an idea to Pressroom Philanthropy, and they came back with a vision that would’ve been beyond our reach to visualise without their help.”

The cookbooks will be distributed at Salvos emergency relief and marketplace locations, for people who are already feeling the pinch of the cost of living.

It will inspire people to hold onto the joy that food can bring to their daily life, while being nimble in tougher times.

Meet Major Brendan Nottle

Major Brendan Nottle is a Salvos veteran, dedicating more than three decades of his life to working with the most vulnerable of society. Brendan is Commanding Officer of The Salvation Army Melbourne Project 614, which helps those who are experiencing homelessness or who are at risk of homelessness, those who are experiencing social poverty, social isolation, or who are otherwise vulnerable.

He leads a small team of dedicated staff and more than 1000 volunteers. It’s important to Brendan that he and the team work to establish one-on-one relationships with the homeless and disadvantaged, and then get them the individual help they need.

Among his many achievements and contributions to the community, Brendan is a member of the Premier’s Ice Action Taskforce and the Victorian Housing Minister’s Rough Sleepers Roundtable. In 2013 he was awarded Melburnian of the Year award in recognition of his compassionate and tireless efforts to help homeless and disadvantaged people, and in 2020 he was a VIC Australian of the Year Finalist, and a Victorian Australia Day Ambassador.

A major issue that we are confronted with every day is an increasing number of people that are struggling to cope with current cost of living pressures. We have developed an idea to produce a very practical cookbook designed to help people make ends meet. We would have been unable to move the concept to reality without the passion, expertise, and support of Pressroom Philanthropy. Once again, Pressroom Philanthropy has stood in the gap to ensure that a practical and much needed idea is activated.”

- Major Brendan Nottle.

Gippsland Farmer:Relief

Food for farming families

Farming families are fundamental to the food we often take for granted –working hard to raise livestock and grow fresh produce. But unpredictable climatic conditions and financial hardship can have dire impact to regional communities. This is where Gippsland Farmer Relief provides help.

Across Gippsland, a group of 70+ volunteers work to provide monthly food hampers to farmers who are doing it tough. Farmers are typically strongwilled and resilient spirits, so putting their hand up for assistance doesn’t come naturally. The respectful, confidential, and discreet supply of non-perishable goods helps farmers know that the community is looking out for them.

As a local country resident, Gippsland Farmer Relief Chariman, Bill Maddocks has seen the setbacks experienced by Gippsland farmers. “We’ve had pricing fiascos, then drought, then the East Gippsland bushfires, and now Covid. At the peak of the fires, Gippsland Farmer Relief was looking after more than 300 families. Those farmers are still struggling – most had to completely re-stock and re-fence properties, and many haven’t even managed to rebuild their homes.”

In 2016, Gippsland Farmer Relief was just working out of a private garage.

Farmers are the lifeblood of the country. Without them we wouldn’t have food on our table. Farming families are the hardest workers you’ll come across. They are the salt of the earth and deserve our support.”

- Bill Maddocks, Chair of Gippsland Farmer Relief.

As they expanded, they raised donations for a small storage space, then a small factory warehouse – which then expanded to two warehouses! Relying on donations and grants for rent, they needed a financially sustainable solution. Hearing of this urgent need for better space management, Pressroom Philanthropy worked with Bill and the volunteers on a unique kind of design

project: warehouse spatial layout and a racking system design.

Bill has loved the collaborative approach, saying, “Pressroom Philanthropy designed the new warehouse layout and racking system to enable us to fit everything into one factory unit. This halved our rent and gave us a more efficient work area. It truly makes our jobs much easier.”

When livelihoods have been deeply impacted by droughts, floods, fires and the pandemic, it’s incredibly fortunate that Gippsland Farmer Relief is here to help. Their work is indeed a welcome relief

Gippsland Farmer Relief provides food relief service for farming families. The charity’s mission is to provide community assistance with an understanding of the rural perspective, ensuring confidentiality and respect in difficult times.

See more at www.gippslandfarmerrelief.com.au.

Old Dogs, New Homes

Who will look after our pets when we are too elderly to care for them, especially if the pets are seniors themselves? It’s saddening to think they might be ‘past their prime’ for easy adoption into a new family. This is where the Victorian Dog Rescue and Resource Group (VicDRG) steps in to help. Their passionate work stops the pointless euthanasia of surrendered pets, saving the lives of beloved companion animals.

VicDRG is a long-established animal foster care network working to save dogs and cats throughout Victoria. The original Drought Dogs Program was responsible for saving the lives of countless rural dogs being surrendered in hard times.

Trisha and the VicDRG volunteers now focus on older pets and the pets of the elderly. Sadly, medical conditions like dental problems and age-related ailments can make such pets vulnerable to euthanasia in a rescue shelter. Nobody wants this outcome for a loyal companion! Trisha and the volunteer carers help rescue such animals. Vet bills are one of the biggest hurdles of rehoming older pets, so VicDRG goes the extra mile by paying their vet costs.

This is why fundraising and awareness is important to VicDRG. Relying on donations to cover vet costs can strain a charity’s finances. Working with Pressroom Philanthropy means the team can focus on the critical work of saving animals, while knowing they are supported with marketing materials that build awareness.

The brochure and custom-cut brochure stand means VicDRG can have a presence in Vet clinics, retirement villages, and even legal offices – helping people plan their furry companion’s future in their will.

Take the plight of this odd couple: a Jack Russell called Tiggy and his 19-yearold feline friend, Fluffy. Trisha explains, “Tiggy and Fluffy came to us on a recent rescue-run. Our policy is to take all pets. The owner had gone into hospital and passed away. For months the family had been calling past the house to feed them.” When Tiggy is re-homed, Fluffy will be also homed with best-friend Tiggy in permanent foster-care. This means VicDRG will pay all of Fluffy’s expenses so the couple can live out their senior years together. Now that’s what saving pet lives is all about.

VicDRG is a volunteer-led charity that re-homes dogs and cats that would not have lived if they’d been left in a pound or shelter, and promote responsible pet ownership.

See more at www.victoriandogrescue.org.au.

We were the first group to work in rural Victoria, rescuing pound dogs that would’ve otherwise been put down. Our volunteers drove them to Melbourne each week, we foster-cared and re-homed them.”

- Trisha Taylor, President of VicDRG

Creating opportunities for children to play sport

Kids thrive in team sports for many reasons. More than a physical outlet, it’s a connection to community and purpose. But for socioeconomically disadvantaged youth, this is often outside of their means. Team Sports 4 All helps vulnerable kids get involved in club sport.

Cameron Dare, Director of TS4A, and his amazing team of volunteers work with disadvantaged families to find a team sport that best suits their child. TS4A fully funds their club registration, season playing fees, equipment and uniform costs.

At the clubs, TS4A mentors work discreetly with the coach and team manager to keep kids on track. Cameron reports, “these children accrue the true benefits after multiple seasons, when they become embedded in the community.”

Over half a million kids in Australia live in welfare-dependent families. They tend to have poorer mental and physical health, and poorer educational outcomes. “We can help break the cycle of intergenerational disadvantage by getting kids into sport.”

TS4A has successfully secured a $300,000 collaborative grant to support 500 additional children. But Cameron realises they have a lot of work ahead, reflecting on the conundrum, “getting a grant gives charities the opportunity to expand, but they must be able to sustain that level of funding beyond the grant completion date, forcing charities to set significant fundraising goals.”

Pressroom Philanthropy has supported TS4A by developing a ‘design playbook’ that helps them apply a consistent brand to all their materials. “Now, every time we print something, we apply the brand book. It’s amazing what you can achieve when you make some overarching design decisions that flow through to everything you create” says Cameron. “With Pressroom Philanthropy, we’ve been able to market ourselves

at a level that’s greater than our scale really is, and that’s helping us grow our fundraising channels and recruit volunteers.”

Cameron has wonderful advice for fellow charities: “You’ve got to have a thousand coffees with a thousand people to find the network you need to help achieve your mission.” Let’s put the kettle on and get started.

TS4A’s brand new website was created by Pressroom Philanthropy, incorporating online forms, events and donation functionality. Organisations retain the ability to update their own site, through WordPress training and page builders.

At sporting clubs, kids don’t just make friends, they also meet other adults that have a positive influence on their life. Coaches, team managers, other parents – these are all influencers who can ‘move the dial’ for kids towards better outcomes.”

TeamSports4All helps socio-economically disadvantaged kids participate in club sport in their community. They help children from the poorest and most marginalised parts of our society access the benefits of sport.

See more at www.teamsports4all.com.au

Giving the gift of photographic memories

When Gavin and Kelly experienced the heartbreaking loss of their baby girl at birth, their personal grief gave rise to a vision. Gavin Blue, a professional photographer, used that experience to create a photography service for bereaved families, capturing heartfelt photos that enabled stillborn babies to be seen and remembered.

In 2006, as their pregnancy progressed, Gavin and Kelly received devastating news – their unborn baby had health complications that were ‘not compatible with life’. Sixteen years on, the rawness still hangs with Gavin. As a photographer, Gavin prepared for Alexandra’s birth, planning to take photos and videos of whatever time they had with her in the hospital. And it was beautiful. “We had time to love her and be parents to her. When we were taking the photos, everything else just slipped away for the moment. We were just with Alexandra.”

Heartfelt has grown to a committed community of 350 photographers across Australia and New Zealand who volunteer their skills to give the gift of photographic memories to families who lose a child. The trauma of stillborn birth is unfathomable. When families allow a photographer in to take photos of them with their child, Heartfelt often receive feedback that families have the chance to forget everything that’s happening around them and get to be parents. They bathe and hold their baby like any new parent would do - it’s a distraction that allows them to feel normal and interact with their baby.

Families often say the photos are one of the most valuable things they own. At the end of the day the baby’s nursery gets packed up, but the photos are a lasting acknowledgement of their child.

Since 2010, Heartfelt has worked with 15,000 families. In 2019 Gavin was awarded an Order of Australia Medal in recognition of his meaningful impact.

Pressroom Philanthropy’s funding will cover 200 photography sessions, helping 200 grieving families create loving memories amidst profound heartbreak. Next on the press is new designs and printing of session cards, flyers for hospitals, and information brochures for new photographers.

I love it when a new Heartfelt photographer can have a moment with a grieving family, and feel a profound realisation of how special it is to help someone through their heartbreak with their skills. When a photographer can get beyond any nervousness and fear, or technical complications, we can see what a privilege it is to do what we do.”

- Gavin Blue OAM, Heartfeft Founder & President

As a charity, Heartfelt has always had a soft approach to the fundraising needed to cover the printing, packaging, and postage costs. They concentrate on doing what that do best and the funding will come. This sentiment was echoed when Pressroom Philanthropy approached Heartfelt and asked, “how can we help?”

While Gavin and the generous volunteer photographers feel privileged to work with families, Pressroom Philanthropy also feels honoured to be able to support Heartfelt. This work is a promise to families that the memories of their lost ones can live on, both in heart and in hand.

Heartfelt is community of volunteer professional photographers dedicated to giving the gift of photographic memories to families who have experienced stillbirth or have children with serious or life threatening illness.

See more at www.heartfelt.org.au

Eating Disorders Families:Australia

Caring for the carers

An eating disorder is an immensely scary illness, and traumatically distressing for the family of individuals who experience it. When told by a medical care team to “do whatever it takes to keep your loved one alive”, parents need to put all their energy into getting their child well. This is infinitely more difficult than it sounds. To survive this journey, parents need the support, education and understanding of EDFA.

Eating Disorders Families Australia (EDFA) was established to provide meaningful support to families affected by an eating disorder. A predominantly volunteer, not-for-profit membership-based organisation, it facilitates daily online connections, offers education webinars, runs support groups, creates resources,

There was no one to turn to about eating disorders. No one understood what we were going through.

When I spoke to other parents, I realised that my family’s story of recovery was important for others to hear when they were deep in the trenches themselves.”

- Christine Naismith, EDFA

and supports research. Its flagship service ‘strive’ stands for Support, Teach, Reassure, Inform, Validate and Empower. Most importantly, EDFA steps in and holds parents’ hands through the overwhelm and desperation.

It started as a small support network of mothers, including co-founders Christine Naismith and Lynn Garvey.

Christine’s journey began when her daughter went on a diet for her school formal. She spiralled downhill and was admitted to hospital with heart failure. But this was just the beginning of a tough road ahead. Likewise, Lynn’s daughter was a young teen, cutting out food-groups and exercising excessively. Lynn simply had no idea what to do – it happened so quickly.

EDFA is now recognised as the national peak body for providing support and education for families of individuals experiencing eating disorders. Christine and Lynn believe this demonstrates just how valuable ‘lived experience’ is when helping others.

EDFA has been working with Pressroom Philanthropy to completely refresh their brand and design to reflect their position as the peak support body in Australia. Their new branding was launched at the recent Australia and New Zealand Academy of Eating Disorders conference. Lynn excitedly reported, “Our brochures, flyers, conversation cards and other materials have definitely put EDFA on the national radar for all clinicians attending the conference.”

Any of us could be touched by an eating disorder. Learning from the lived experience of people like Christine and Lynn may just make the difference between surviving and returning to thriving.

EDFA is a passionate group of parents and carers dedicated to providing lived experience, support, information, validation and education to empower other parents in their journey with their own loved one. See more at edfa.org.au

Thriving children & supported families

For some parents, welcoming a newborn is a daunting time. You can find yourself questioning how to be a good parent, and worrying how to best provide for a baby. Families in Gippsland can turn to Olivia’s Place, based in Drouin, for supportive advice and material assistance.

Olivia’s Place helps people navigate the parenthood journey in two ways. Firstly, their Family Support Program offers social, emotional and practical support during pregnancy and early parenting. Secondly, they distribute donated new and pre-loved baby goods, nursery essentials, clothing and nappies. “We are currently supporting close to 200 families a year, and in our last financial year we distributed just over $120,000 of material aid.” This combination of services is truly reaching those who need them.

Olivia’s Place recently moved into a large new space – one that caters for their growing client support program, and for the donations side of operations. With no external signage, this was an opportunity for Pressroom Philanthropy to help. Pressroom Philanthropy is designing and printing large-scale building signs for Olivia’s Place. These will not only elevate their presence with attractive visuals, but will also give people clear direction to navigate the large site.

Pheba Daniel, who has just stepped into the Operations Manager role, is excited about the future. “Olivia’s Place has so much potential. We are exploring how best we can utilise our new space. The new signage will put our stamp on this well-known local building and show the community that it’s being put to good use.”

Knit

A warmer winter for those doing it tough

Winter is the toughest season for Australians facing hardship. The cold bites in many ways, affecting people’s physical health and mental wellbeing. It’s good to know there are warmhearted knitters to provide in times of need.

Knit One Give One, warmly known as KOGO, is a community of over 10,000 volunteer knitters who purchase wool and knit garments to donate to the disadvantaged. KOGO provides patterns for inspiration and arranges convenient drop-off points. So much love goes into each blanket, beanie, scarf, and knitted doll. The volunteers hope the recipients also feel the warmth of a community that cares.

Olivia’s Place is certainly providing strong roots - like that of an olive tree - to help Gippsland families put down their own roots and thrive.

Olivia's Place offers social, emotional and practical support to Gippsland families during any stage of pregnancy and parenting in the first year of a child's life.

See more at www.oliviasplace.org.au

“KOGO started during a particularly cold winter. My daughter said ‘why don’t we make scarves and give them to the homeless’. Now we have thousands of knitters across Australia. We supply our items to over 300 partner organisations who deal with people undergoing hardship.” Roslyn Rogers, Founder of KOGO

The need for warm winter woollies is greater than ever. In 2019, before COVID hit, KOGO distributed over 112,000 knitted items. Pressroom Philanthropy is delighted to welcome KOGO to the Pressroom Philanthropy family to help where help is needed. There will be more to come on this wonderful charity!

KOGO provides hand-knitted items of warmth and comfort to the most vulnerable and disadvantaged in our community, and enhances social inclusion through volunteering.

See more at www.kogo.org.au

The name Olivia means peace, dignity and fruitfulness, and is represented by an olive tree. All of these meanings encompass our approach to supporting families in Gippsland.”

- Heather Kane, outgoing Operations Manager, Olivia’s Place

Big Group:Hug

Putting the squeeze on childhood poverty

Childhood poverty is a serious issue. Children are going without bare essentials due to family financial distress, dysfunction, isolation or violence. The question is, how can we help? Some kids simply need a hug of a special kind. Big Group Hug helps vulnerable children by collecting and re-distributing pre-loved items.

It all started when Angela Wood came across a perfectly good pram disposed of on the footpath. This one pram represented much more – all the preloved goods waiting to be donated and re-distributed to those in need.

From this seed, Angela founded Big Group Hug. The charity has now grown to a warehouse bursting with donations, and a volunteer community that prepares need-specific relief packs. Maternal health nurses, hospitals and social workers call on Big Group Hug, knowing they’ll respond with thoughtfully assembled packs of clothes, nappies, equipment, toys and more.

Our Airport West donation site is on track to divert almost 65 tonnes of items from landfill this year. This makes a massive difference to the local environment by keeping a circular economy moving.

Re-homing donations truly has a dual purpose.”

Big Group Hug recently saw a growing need for assistance. To tackle these challenges, the charity has embarked on an exciting growth strategy. CEO Bernadene Voss describes it as a Hub and Spoke model. “With our main warehouse in Bundoora, we’ll have smaller locations to collect donations and distribute relief packs to recipients in those areas, enabling us to reach more people falling through the gaps.”

The new Big Group Hug website which is coming soon.

The Bundoora ‘hub’ traditionally services north-eastern communities of Melbourne, and the newest ‘spoke’ in Airport West services the north-western suburbs, with more ‘spokes’ to come.

With this expansion comes the need for sponsorship. To attract sponsors, a strong Annual Report that showcases the charity’s capabilities is critical.

Although annual reports are a regulatory requirement, there’s no reason they can’t also showcase success stories for potential sponsors.

Big Group Hug worked with Pressroom Philanthropy to design and print their Annual Report. Bernadene is delighted with the outcome: “It raises our level of professionalism and speaks to our brand and values.

The Annual Report, along with our website uplift, has been a wonderful collaborative effort with Pressroom Philanthropy.”

Ultimately, Big Group Hug feels their purpose is to motivate the public to volunteer, donate, and mobilise aid for children in need. From one generation to the next, this truly is a worthy cause.

Big Group Hug works with local communities to respond to the immediate material needs of vulnerable and disadvantaged children and their families.

Find out more at www.biggrouphug.org.