A Sutherland Shire based charity that supports children and families will celebrate its 10th anniversary by inviting people to host their own 'baby shower' to help those in need.
Dandelion Support Network at Caringbah is a grassroots not-for-profit organisation that collects new and preloved children's clothes and nursery items, which are then sorted and checked for safety before being passed on.
Dandelion works with more than 200 hospitals and community service agencies, and has helped about 12,000 families in 37 local government areas over the past 10 years. It now services Greater Sydney to the Illawarra.
It has helped almost 2000 families this year alone, including those experiencing domestic violence, those living with a disability or mental illness, those at risk of homelessness, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families, refugees and others.
The charity will launch its first ever Dandelion Day in November in a bid to reach more people as the flow-on effects of COVID-19 lockdowns continue.
Dandelion's operations and volunteer manager Gabrielle Humphreys said the COVID-19 pandemic and restrictions meant they were unable to help as many families this year.
"The number of families Dandelion was able to support decreased by 23 per cent [between] October 2019-September 2020 and October 2020- September 2021," she said.
"In addition, our team has had to reduce numbers on-site as well as reduce contact with the community.
"And yet, the families we help are in need more than ever before as a result of the stress and financial implications of the pandemic.
"Our wait lists are growing by the day and our shelves for many essential items are close to empty."
Dandelion hopes to raise $30,000 and collect 12,000 preloved items in a bid to restock its shelves, decrease wait lists and raise awareness of the organisation and its work.
Supporters are asked to host a Dandelion Day baby shower at home, in the workplace, school or community group in the last two weeks of November.
"We encourage organisations big and small, including businesses, schools and community groups to get on board with the simple act of hosting a morning tea and donating to help babies get the best start in life with quality, pre-loved essential items," Ms Humphreys said.
Details: To learn more about Dandelion Support Network click here. To help plan your Dandelion Day event, a Virtual Event Kit can be found by clicking here.
