Glenda Serpell - Sunshine Bendigo

Family means everything to me. Not everyone has the access to family support in the most positive way, especially at times when support is needed.

I love the African proverb that says – “It takes a village to raise a child” I believe that the village (our community) is paramount for families to survive and flourish.

All babies have needs and the right to a safe and healthy environment in which to grow. This fact and the opportunity and desire to make a difference in the lives of others stimulated the development of the concept of starting a way of connecting resources in our community, with those with needs. After researching these thoughts we discovered St Kilda Mums, a wonderful organisation operating out of Melbourne. They proved to be a great working example for which to model our new organisation in the region of Bendigo and surrounds. By creating on opportunity for people to donate new and pre-loved baby goods and equipment we are able to care for those in need by sharing resources and many times saving those goods from landfill.

Since the inception in 2016 Sunshine Bendigo has witnessed amazing growth. We commenced our work with humble premises in Long Gully a suburb of Bendigo, donated to us by the Uniting church. The concept was received well and supported by the local community and the case workers we support. In 2019 we took the bold step to expand our service potential and moved into the private rental market, securing ourselves a larger more purposeful site in which to operate from. We have seen incredible expansion in this time and have been able to re-home thousands of items with a retail value in excess of $1.5m, helping many families in their time of need.

We have gathered an amazing team of volunteers along the way who are committed to the cause and find their own way to contribute. This opportunity creates a pathway for them to also serve their community. To make a difference for those in need.

The demand on our service is growing every day. The challenges we face to sustain and grow our service often seem huge and insurmountable. Sunshine Bendigo is a community. Every member of our team, every volunteer, every donor and every supporter makes up our village.

At every turn, the provision is there and we cannot thank the community enough.

Check out Sunshine Bendigo's website here.