TRYING to keep your head above water when a baby arrives can push some people over the edge.
There were big costs involved with bringing home a newborn by the time big ticket items, such as cots and strollers, were bought, said Tamara Rockstro-Groom.
She wanted to repay the help she received as a new mum and so, with a girlfriend, started Dandelion Support Network.
The volunteer-run, non-profit organisation gathers and sorts baby goods and children's clothing, toys and cots, cleans them and ensures they are distributed to people in need.
Social workers at St George and Sutherland hospitals contact Mrs Rockstro-Groom when they have a client who could do with a hand.
Despite the notion that Sutherland Shire is an affluent region, Mrs Rockstro-Groom said there was a "shocking level of demand" for a support service.
"We get requests most days and it is good to be able to hand over a big bag of clothes," she said. "We started on December 15 and by the 23rd we were doing our first delivery."
For the safety of volunteers, they usually don't meet recipients, but Mrs Rockstro-Groom did meet the first mum to benefit.
"She was speechless; it shows that generosity can make a difference," she said.
"You can't tell when you pass someone on the street that they are sleeping on the floor and their baby is sleeping on a pile of towels."
Dandelion urgently needs donations of clothes up to children's size 10, baby items, cots and prams in good condition.
Details: Dandelion Support Network on Facebook, phone 0414 329 554 or visit
">www.dandelionsupport.org
