- Wadeye (NT)
- Nauiyu (NT)
- Palumpa (NT)
- Darwin (NT)
- Arnhem Land (NT)
- Gumbulunya (NT)
- Katherine (NT)
- Rock Hole (NT)
- Jodiluk (NT)
- Manyellaluk (NT)
- Burunga (NT)
- Beswick (NT)
- Bulman (NT)
- Wee Mol (NT)
- Minyerri (NT)
- Ngukkur (NT)
- Numbulwar (NT)
- Kiana (NT)
- Borrooloola (NT)
- Elliot (NT)
- Bulla (NT)
- Pigeon Hole (NT) {500 kms one way from Katherine NT}
- Timber creek (NT)
- Aminbidji (NT)
- Daly River (NT)
- Melville Island (Torres Strait)
- Tiwi Islands (Torres Strait)
- Finke (NT)
- Santa Teresa (NT)
- Lake Nash (NT)
- Engawala (NT)
- Eppenarra (NT)
- Tennant creek (NT) and surrounding areas
- Ti Tree
- Palmerston (NT)
- Ltyentye Apurte (Santa Teresa)
- Milikapiti (Tiwi Islands)
- Pepinarti (NT)
- Lingara (NT) {468 kms one way from Katherine NT}
- Yarralin (NT) {438 kms one way from Katherine NT}
- Alice Springs (NT)
The Northern Territory communities have decided NOT to do the Debutant Balls due to cultural beliefs. HOWEVER! Instead they will be using our gowns for a school graduation ball circa September and October instead.
The girls all know the gowns are there for them IF they pass their exams. For young girls who literally have near nothing, these gowns are priceless to them so they are all working very hard at school to graduate. Even the younger girls can't wait to finish school but they must have an excellent attendance record as well. When I was at school, if I passed my exams I would get one present and it inspired me to do well......Encouragement was all these kids needed. We aim to help our donors as much as possible with cheap and or free freight across Australia.
Cowra Freight has been an awesome major sponsor of freight for going on 3 years now and have depots in other towns with other businesses and freight companies. If you live near these depots in these towns then you can drop your donations off to us there and Cowra Freight will deliver to us free of charge. Call Therese Browne on 02 63 425719 before you drop it off. Place our address on a large piece of paper and stick it to your box and deliver it to these addresses. If the donation is under 10kgs then please post at Australia Post. Cowra Freight C/o Silver Band Logistics Unit 207 - 211 NEWTON ROAD Wetherill Park NSW FREE FREIGHT FROM DUBBO NSW Cowra Freight Depot at Western Plains Storage Corner of Jennali & Narromine Streets Dubbo NSW Cowra Freight also have depots in the following towns for FREE freight. Please contact Therese Brown on 02 63 425719 to book the parcel/s in. * Parkes NSW * Young NSW * Canowindra NSW * Forbes NSW * Grenfell NSW (C/O Lachlan Fertilizers, 39 Alexandra Street, Grenfell NSW) They have follow-ons from Canberra, Wagga Wagga, Bathurst and Orange but you have to pay for it. Usually about $10 to $15 per large box but still cheaper than Australia Post. A.C.T RESIDENTS Call Therese Browne at Cowra Freight in Cowra on 02 63 425719 Ask if they can pick up your donations for us. It will cost you around $9.00 to $12.00 per a tea-chest box to deliver to us. (several hundreds of dollars with Australia Post) Metro delivers to Cowra Freight Depot in Young and then Cowra Freight deliver to us in Cowra for free. This week we delivered via Cowra Freight, 9 beautiful baby packs (deceased, preemie, newborn) to Dubbo Base Hospital. We received 30 very large boxes and bags (28 free of charge per freight via Cowra Freight) of donations by some very incredible women who regularly donate in huge amounts. We call it "Shopaholics Anonymous" drop off point. Ha! But seriously, these women are the most incredible fun loving, kind, compassionate, charitable, empathatic, generous women I have ever seen in my life. They never ask "how many", by the time I post on Facebook as to what we need, they are down the shops looking for it on grand scale proportions. Karina Tomlinson, Julie Duncan, Megan Jones, Bronwyn Barratt, and very special recognition to Mr Guy Jones, Katherine Smail & the 4th Hoppers Crossing Brownies (VIC) who are also huge fans, helpers, donors and supporters of ours. Currently we have 10 boxes to send to the NT and probably about another 25 to go when we raise circa $5,000. Feel free to join our supporters page on Facebook to ask questions as well from the current shopaholics. Or call me on 0400 451 098 for any questions if not on Facebook. Alternatively you can email me as well. https://www.facebook.com/groups/supporterstheaustralianotbackbabyproject/?ref=bookmarks Our new packs below. None of the photos come up as nice as the packs really are in real life. The colours are very rich and stunning. We have decided after many long conversations; that after June 1, 2015 we will no longer be using wool baby blankets (crocheted and knitted) in our baby packs in hospitals and remote clinics; and for our remote communities.
All current stock we have until then WILL be used in the packs we have now started on. If you would like to donate baby or large adult blankets crocheted or knitted after this date; we recommend donating them to The Dandelion Support Network (see our links page for their website) as they help us immensely and will gladly take them all for city families. We have instead, decided to use polar fleece baby blankets for packs and larger blankets for kids, teens and adults on the communities and remote clinics. The reason why we have decided to do this, is the fact that nurses all prefer polar fleece to wool blankets. When wet the wool warps the whole blanket and takes ages to dry. On occasions, if not finished correctly; the wool unravels. And they are actually not as warm as people think they are. Polar fleece is dirt cheap and quick to sew. It doesn't take long to dry at all and is warm and cuddly. You can get it in plain colourful colours or with prints. It is also easier to fold up and quick to do so. A major factor for the change is the fact that we can add 20-35 baby blankets in one tea-chest box in one go and it is very light and costs around $99 in freight per box. Wool blankets take up far more room, are heavy and bulky and a tea-chest box of them costs around $138 to $145 in freight per box. Our supporters can make around 20-30 in 24 hours in polar fleece but crocheting a blanket takes weeks to months. We apologize for any inconvenience, however, we have a very small bank balance which all goes entirely to freight so we have to cut back weight where possible. * Magnifying reading glasses. Need thousands for the elders who paint to try and get money for some food. * Tarps that rain cannot seep through (to make houses a little dryer) * Camping shower bags you hang in a tree for a shower. The communities use either buckets with dirty water or swim in a croc infested river. They have no running water, septic tank, sewerage, phone, electricity, gas, toilets etc. * Polar fleece blankets for babies, kids, teens, adults. * Kids fishing rods, reels, any lures etc. We have 17,000 people in 47 communities to help. The very poorest of the poor communities only have 4 posts and tin sheets on the roof for a family to live under in the 45 degree heat; freezing cold and the pouring rain. Does the government help? No! Do they get Centrelink at all? No! Do they get mining royalties? Only 10 in every 4,000 and then it is under $100 a year. Today is January 15, 2015 and today we sent out 15 tea-chest boxes to the Northern Territory for orphans, foster kids and 47 communities.
We also sent out trauma toys for NT police to distribute. Here is our update.
We learn something new every time we speak to Catholic Care NT in the Northern Territory about the 47 communities that we help.
Weeks ago, we asked CCNT if they didn't mind us sending a few white dolls to the children because we had several donated brand new. They told us that the children in those communities didn't see colour at all because they were not racist; all they wanted was dollies to call their own. We were told by other organizations NOT to send white dolls because it was an insult to elders. Obvious they knew nothing at all about these communities. I then asked if the community children liked fishing as the Reject Shop have kids fishing sets for $10.00. We asked permission to send some soon but were worried about enticing kids to fish when the rivers are full of crocodiles. Little ones have been taken in the past by crocs. Apparently, children are sent out to fish whilst the men go out hunting for food and the women gathering food as well. If the children come back empty handed then their family doesn't eat that night. The mining is chasing away their food (kangaroos, snakes, emus etc) and other ground food is becoming extremely scarce. So! To help feed 47 communities, we will be looking for donations of processed grains for cereal; baby food; powdered milk; Milo; healthy packet foot with long life dates; rice; popping corn etc and trying to find a fishing company to sponsor or donate a tone of kids fishing rods and line to help them get more fish to feed their family. We also found out that outsiders have allegedly been telling these communities for decades that all white men hate them and will kill them if they leave their communities. Outsiders who turn up at the communities via back packing etc; get them to do loads of paintings for them to sell and give the painter the royalties. The paintings sell for thousands to millions of dollars and the artist never hears from them again or sees the money owed. On these 47 communities; they make items to sell for food now and then. But they literally have no running water, no showers, no sewerage, electricity, gas, phone coverage of any kind. Many well known organizations and charities have promised alot; then said "It's too political" and walked away. We offered items, CCNT thought that we may be like everyone else with their promises but within a week they received several boxes of goodies and have received a constant stream ever since. Unlike those organizations, we have guts, compassion, understanding, and are NOT racist and we are staying for the long haul! (Maree) Good Afternoon Gorgeous Guardian Angels.
Our hearts go out to all our supporters, donors and creators in South Australia and Alice Springs today who are battling the huge floods right across the state. We all pray that you will be safe in your homes with your family. I will gladly take some of the rain from you if you wish to put it in a tough postal pack and send it No donations have come in this week so it has been very quiet and I can actually sit down and make dental hygiene bags up by putting embellishments on calico bags people donated this year. We currently have 85 ballroom dresses for the Aboriginal debutant balls this year and that will cover 3 communities. We also have 7 brand new long sleeve white shirts for the boys (need about 13 more) and a woman is selling me 30 mens black ties for $55. Here in Cowra black ties are $25 - $35 each so it was a great bargain! Apparently some of the balls will be inside the community halls but some communities haven't got one so they will be outside. I can't think of anything more beautiful than an outdoor ball in Outback Australia. Dancing under the moon and stars, no city lights at all and family everywhere. Maybe a few burning fires to keep warm by. Fairy lights in the trees and silver balls, streamers and helium balloons decorating the trees. Unfortunately they cannot have masquerade balls and anything with a mask. Something to do with death and evil..... Perhaps if we can find some reliable fundraisers, we could have an annual fundraising masquerade ball one night at Cowra Japanese Gardens and Cultural Centre ?? We have great wines and produce in the district too. If I was 20 years older I would do it but I have too much on my plate as it is. Have a great, safe and fun filled weekend everyone! (Maree) Water Lillies photo courtesy of Allan Honor ~ 50mg Johnson & Johnson Baby Powder
~ 100mg Johnson & Johnson Baby Powder ~ Disposable Baby Nappies (all sizes from newborn to pullups for all ages per kids) ~ Heirloom fruit, vegetables, hers, spices seeds for 47 communities to grow their own food. |
Archives
March 2015
AuthorMaree Agland - owner and coordinator of The Australian Outback Baby Project Inc. Categories
All
|