When choosing between buying milk and bread or a t-shirt, clothing gets put on hold. Some families are living on $20 per week to feed three people.
Coomealla Health Aboriginal Corporation
Donation by Gildan
Victoria
Everyone Deserves Dignity
Margaret* stated “this is the first time our program has been able to give something to our listeners. We often attend community events and can only give out information. This time, we were able to give them something real and important, and start a whole new conversation. We focused on people with teenage daughters and were able to give out around 10 packs to vulnerable new arrivals in our community.”
Beyblades fo Dhillion
Dhillion’s face lit up the moment he received his Beyblade toys through Goods360. Before, he often felt left out when classmates talked about their favorite spinning battles, but now he proudly joins the conversations and games. The simple gift opened the door for him to connect with other kids at school and in his community, helping him feel included and confident. For Dhillion, these toys were more than fun—they were a bridge to friendship and belonging.
Peace of mind
After undergoing two knee replacements and recent gastric surgery, Barb has been navigating recovery with courage and determination. When she received adult overnight protection pads from Goods360, it brought her a quiet but powerful sense of reassurance. Knowing she has that extra support has eased her worries about getting up quickly at night while she heals.
This thoughtful gift has helped Barb rest more comfortably and focus on regaining her strength, giving her peace of mind and restoring a sense of dignity during a vulnerable time.
Teaching Financial Literacy
“The smiles and excited buzz in the Op Shop as students found the brand new Nike clothing was wonderful to experience!” Emily* (teacher and project coordinator)
“I love my new jacket…can you see the Nike tick?” Daniel* (student aged 15, living with an intellectual disability who wore his new jacket non-stop for over 3 weeks – to the point we needed to wash and dry it when he was at school as his family told us he was wearing it to bed!)
“I love my new jacket…can you see the Nike tick?” Daniel* (student aged 15, living with an intellectual disability who wore his new jacket non-stop for over 3 weeks – to the point we needed to wash and dry it when he was at school as his family told us he was wearing it to bed!)
Building Digital Confidence and Access
As an international student completing my 500-hour social work placement at Churchill
Neighbourhood Centre, I struggled to manage my academic and placement responsibilities without a reliable computer. My old laptop had become extremely slow. It froze often, crashed in the middle of assessments, and took a long time to open even basic documents. This made it difficult to keep up with LPAR reflections, case notes, supervision records and university assessments, even when I was well organised.
Because placement is unpaid and international students are limited in the number of hours we can legally work, securing steady employment during full-time placement was very challenging. My previous workplace also had no shifts available after 4 pm, which meant I could not maintain consistent income. With most of what I earned going toward rent, groceries, transport and essential living costs, replacing my laptop was simply not possible.
Nathan at Churchill Neighbourhood Centre noticed I was having difficulty and generously provided me with a MacBook so I could complete my university and placement work properly. Having a reliable device made an immediate difference. I was able to finish reports and assessments on time, prepare presentations efficiently, and stay on track with both placement and academic expectations.
This laptop still supports me every day. I rely on it for writing assessments, completing case notes, attending online supervision, and doing the research required for my social work degree. It has become an essential tool that enables me to meet the demands of my course and maintain the quality of my work on placement.
Small trial, big impact!
“When we handed out the Nike clothing discreetly, you could see the relief on parents’ faces,” said Sarah* from our community team. “One mum told us it was the first time her son had ever owned brand-new branded shoes. Even though this was only a small trial, the impact was huge. Families felt supported, respected, and not alone.”
Staying Connected with Optus SIMs
Having a free SIM card made a huge difference for me as a volunteer, It meant I could easily stay in touch with everyone, coordinate activities on the go, and make sure no one missed out. Something so simple became a real tool for building community and keeping our young people connected.
Fitness and inclusion on the basketball court
Matthew* said “I feel like these new shoes made my basketball game 100% better! My old shoes were so worn out I worried about falling down all the time! Now I can concentrate on the game and my team! I bet they will help me get to the ring quicker to!”
Stan gets on the move
Stan* said – “The doctor said I had to be more active as I am facing some health issues if I don’t get my health under control but my feet were killing me in my old shoes. These will give me the support I need to get moving and hopefully get these health issues under control and get them moving to!”
