On a remote island in the Gulf of Carpentaria, your support is now reaching families through local partners in their community. Here’s how the village is helping bring essential basics closer to home.
By Tara Day-Williams, Head of Impact, Baby Give Back
On Mornington Island, a remote community in the Gulf of Carpentaria, limited local shopping and the high cost of transporting goods can make essential items hard to come by. Thanks to the support of the Baby Give Back community and some incredible partners, quality clothing and essentials are now much closer to home for local families.
The challenge to get support there
Reaching remote communities starts with getting there, and that’s where the team at Carpentaria Freight come in. They’re donating a pallet of free transport each quarter, travelling from Cairns to Karumba and then by barge to the island. It’s a huge help in overcoming one of the biggest barriers to reaching remote families - logistics - and we’re so grateful.
"…one of the biggest barriers to reaching remote families."
Working the way community needs
Baby Give Back's place-based approach means we build relationships, listen to understand, and work with local support services who know their communities. On Mornington Island services are collaborating to provide Baby Give Back’s support to local families.
Just like our work with Ngukuthati in Mount Isa, we’ve adapted how we work to suit the unique Mornington Island community. 54 reasons Child and Family Centre has come on board as a Program Partner, ordering and storing our support on the island. Through their connections with the community-run Ngarnal Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Service and the Royal Flying Doctor Service, and other organisations, families can access essentials through the local network, with wrap-around support that helps build connection so that children thrive in their early years.
"Her little one fell in love with the pink dresses”
What it means on the ground
“Having an opportunity like this with Baby Give Back has been an absolute blessing... We are very, very grateful for the partnership,” says Jaimie, Team Leader at 54 Reasons.
The team recently unpacked a Clothing Box with a grandma, who was gobsmacked by the range, from baby rompers to bathers, and couldn’t believe how much of it looked brand new. Her little one fell in love with the pink dresses, which just happened to be her favourite colour.
What’s next
More than 30 babies will be born to Mornington Island families in the next six months. Thanks to grant funding from Queensland Gives, 30 Safe Start Boxes have been packed in Townsville, ready to welcome them. We’re also collaborating with Thread Together to make even more support accessible across the region.
Mornington Island is part of a bigger picture of support spreading across the state. More than 30% of our support is now reaching families in regional and remote Queensland, where we know the need is significant. Partnerships and collaborative work like this is how we keep that reach growing.
Every Clothing Box and Safe Start Box that reaches the island is made possible by this village: our partners, our volunteers and you.
Thank you for helping our village stretch all the way to the Gulf.
Tara Day-Williams
Head of Impact, Baby Give Back
If you’d like to support communities in regional and remote Queensland and be part of what comes next, enquire here to learn more about how you can partner with Baby Give Back or make a donation which can help grow support to more families across Queensland.
