Ballarat's Eureka Mums warehouse in Sebastopol has closed, a month earlier than expected, as the broader St Kilda Mums, Geelong Mums and Eureka Mums organisation streamlines its operations.
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The service will continue to support struggling Ballarat families with clothes, cots, car seats, toys and countless other essentials but goods will be delivered to social workers and case workers rather than the previous arrangement of picking up the bundles from the warehouse.
While donation drop-offs in Ballarat have stopped for the short term, St Kilda Mums, Geelong Mums and Eureka Mums partnerships manager Gill Whelan said an announcement would be made in the next month or so about how Ballarat families can continue to support the group.
Closure of the warehouse was initially planned for some time after May, but it instead closed at the end of April. "We were a little bit ahead of schedule in lining up the reconfigured service," Ms Whelan said. "We are still working with the same partners in Ballarat in terms of social service agencies, health providers and maternal and child health services but we can deliver orders directly to them rather than them coming to the warehouse."
A review of the organisation found using the group's existing regional freight network to service Ballarat was more cost effective and would allow more babies, children and families to receive the support they need.
"The Ballarat community has been incredibly generous and we received many donations of baby and children's essentials in the last few weeks. We are therefore not currently asking for more goods donations in Ballarat as we have a lot of stock currently."
The organisation will run from its two warehouses in Clayton and Geelong.
"We are still able to support children and babies in the Ballarat region and turn things around really quickly. We are working with some of our larger partner agencies to make sure we have stock on hand for emergency situations as we streamline things."
Last financial year Eureka Mums supported 1709 babies and children via 179 social workers around Ballarat, rehoming 4154 items worth $456,899. In April they rehomed more than $75,000 of items including 102 clothing bundles, 49 linen bundles, 13 cots, 17 car seats and 12 prams.
Ms Whelan said it was likely several bigger partner organisations in Ballarat would act as drop-off points for donations for Eureka Mums.
"Ballarat families want to support other Ballarat families who are struggling and it's absolutely what we want people to be able to do."
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