How Olivia’s Place helped Rebecca’s family thrive

“With my first pregnancy – the pregnancy went really well – but when I arrived at the hospital it all went downhill. The birth was quite traumatic and in the months following the birth with breastfeeding and postnatal depression it was a really big struggle.

When I first moved to Warragul I didn’t have anyone. It was just my husband, me and my little baby, and it’s hard when you move somewhere new. My parents were three hours away, his parents were six hours away, I really didn’t have anyone in my little family unit.

And then when I was pregnant with my second baby, in the third trimester all those feelings of fear got stirred up. When I really needed support and I wasn’t sure where to go, my doctor referred me to Olivia’s Place. They called me and I came in and met CJ… and I knew that everything was going to be ok.”

One-on-one support for new and expecting parents

CJ is a Family Support Worker who helps prepare new or expecting parents for the tasks ahead. Sometimes clients have fears or worries they are working through, or face issues around housing, financial stress, perinatal mental health, family violence, visas – whatever is troubling them.

“CJ really took good care of me, she helped me through the breastfeeding trauma and prepared me to welcome another baby and to be able to breastfeed that baby. From the third trimester I went in once a fortnight to see her and to talk about some of the problems I was having – and that I was anticipating having!

If I hadn’t gone to Olivia’s Place I don’t know what I would have done. I think my husband would have had to stop working to support me because I was not in a good way to be able to look after myself and my eldest child. Being able to see CJ once a fortnight – and she would call me if I needed a bit of extra help as well – meant that life could continue as normal at home, which was really nice.

One of the things that CJ did was organise for me to do a parenting course through Anglicare. Had I not been seeing her I wouldn’t have even known about that course, that has been a real gamechanger for me as a parent.”

Giving back through volunteering

“When my second baby was probably about nine months old I asked about volunteering at Olivia’s Place, and they said that would be great – they’d love to have me! So I started volunteering at the warehouse in the material aid team.

Olivia’s Place offers support to parents who are expecting a new baby or who have just had a new baby up until their first year of life. They offer two levels of support – one level being the family support which is what I received, so that’s talking with someone to help you through those hard times.

The second level is material aid, where you receive items such as prams, cots, bassinets for your baby – things you need to help transport your baby and ensure your baby has a safe place to sleep. I would check goods that have been donated and make sure they were safe for a baby and that they could go to a new home.

It was really good… That feeling of being part of the village for those who needed the support – like I had needed the support – was a really good feeling, and the social aspects of volunteering as well, when I didn’t know many people, was just really fantastic.”

Joining the Olivia’s Place team

After many months of volunteering, Rebecca applied for an advertised administrative role and began working with the team.

“From a client’s perspective they really took care of me, from a volunteer’s perspective they supported me in that role, and from an employment perspective… they’re a really fun team and supportive colleagues. It’s been really nice working for them as well as being a volunteer.

For people who are struggling with their pregnancy or the pending birth of their baby, or those early months once the baby’s arrived there is help for you. Olivia’s Place is here for everyone in Gippsland.”

About the Community Grants Program

Every year the Sisters of Charity Foundation provides grants of up to $15,000 to small not-for-profits across Australia, like Olivia’s Place, that use clever ways to fight disadvantage, loneliness, suffering and oppression.

Our grants have been used to support a wide range of people, including those facing poverty and disadvantage, people living with disabilities, at-risk youth, refugees and asylum seekers, First Nations people, those experiencing homelessness or domestic violence, elderly people, and those who have been incarcerated or affected by substance abuse and their families.

Learn more at Community Grants Program.