About Us
WHAT WE DO
We collect and rehome essential baby and children’s items and work with social workers and maternal and child health nurses to rehome them to babies and children in need.
We are a dedicated and joyous community working hard to reduce waste and making real change to the lives of over 20,000 babies and children across Victoria every year.
Our concept is simple: we partner with social services and maternal and child health nurses to connect families looking to donate baby and children’s goods with families who urgently need these essential items. Instead of being discarded into landfill, good quality, safe items can now provide many more families with years of use.
From the people who donate their pre-loved baby goods, to the volunteers who clean and check each item, to every donor and partner who helps make it all possible, working together we make a difference.
WHO WE ARE
We are a grassroots charity working on a state-wide scale.
We tap into the power of local communities to help vulnerable babies and children in need and to create a more sustainable future, bringing together carers, social services, dedicated volunteers and generous donors to make real change.
At Our Village we believe in nurturing potential. Our charity was created when a community saw the potential for positive change and then made it happen. Today this is still the heart of who we are.
We believe in the potential of children to grow healthy and strong if they have the care they need. We believe in the potential of used goods to have a purposeful second-life. Most of all, we believe in the potential of our community when we come together to help.
It takes a village to raise a child and save the planet. This is the power of Our Village.
WHERE WE WORK
We proudly service all 79 Local Government Areas across the state of Victoria.
Our Story
A SEED OF GOODWILL
We were founded on the belief that anything is possible when we all work together to support babies and children in need.
In 2009, a group of five mums were attending a Maternal and Child Health Centre in Melbourne when they noticed baby goods stacked high in the photocopying room that had been kindly donated by local parents.
One of the mums, Jessica Macpherson, volunteered to sort, launder and package the preloved goods for rehoming to vulnerable families. Once the goods were ready, Sarah Pitney, the Enhanced Care Nurse from the Centre, eagerly distributed the items to families in need.
From this small seed of community good will, St Kilda Mums was born, and demand quickly began to grow.
THE CREATION OF A COMMUNITY
Then in April 2013, Geelong Mums was established by a group of five local mums led by Kate Betts. A volunteer group operating from one small shed and a few homes, the charity was soon helping more than 300 local families. Eureka Mums followed close behind in 2014 in Ballarat.
From the earliest days of a few dedicated volunteers collecting donations on a front porch, the charity has continued to grow until it has become an incredible community of thousands of volunteers and two expansive warehouses.
OUR VILLAGE IS FORMED
Today we are Our Village – a community that is more than just mums. We’re dads, grandparents, carers, social workers and nurses. We’re not just helping a few – we’re helping over 20,000 babies and children every year across every Local Government Area in Victoria.
And we’re not just a small group of volunteers anymore. We are thousands of volunteers, donors, partners, businesses and schools all working together to create a better future for Victorian children.
The need is growing and we estimate we are only reaching 20 per cent of the children that need us. We need YOU – join Our Village by donating dollars, goods or time. Thank you!
Our Vision
Share more. Waste less. Every child thrives.
OUR PURPOSE
We rehome essentials to give kids the best start in life.
THE FIRST 2000 DAYS
Our lives are impacted by our experiences in early childhood. The attachment between a child and their primary carer in the first 2000 days of life influences that child’s health, development and resilience.
If there is economic, psychological and/or physical distress, the ability to develop this bond is at risk.
We strive to alleviate these pressures and create the opportunity for every child to feel secure, safe and to thrive.
CIRCULAR ECONOMY
The world has finite resources. The way we buy, use and dispose of goods has a negative impact on our planet.
We’re investing our energy into changing the way we consume goods. As part of the circular economy, we are reducing waste and pollution by extending the life cycle of kids’ essential goods through repair and reuse.
OUR GOALS
By 2030, we will: Support every Victorian child up to the age of six that needs us. Reduce waste through the reuse of the things kids need. Share our service beyond Victoria.
OUR VALUES
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Community
It takes a village. We are inclusive – everyone is welcome.
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Respect
We treat every child and their carers with dignity. We listen to each other and take time to understand each other’s views. We are kind to each other, always.
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Caring for the planet
We recognise the climate crisis and help alleviate it by considering the impact on the environment of everything we do. Our reuse approach is long term and means we help children in a moment of need whilst also creating a more sustainable planet for them to live on.
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Collaboration
We are more powerful and impactful when we partner with people and organisations that add value to our work and the children we support. We welcome new ideas and value diversity in our team.
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Accountability
We deliver. If we say we will do something, we do it.
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Joy
We create moments of joy for the children we help, the donors who support us and the volunteers who give us their time. We love what we do, we are proud of our work and each other.
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