Mums Support Mums in Mildura
Melody Tan
Published
Mildura Mums At The Table, in partnership with Mildura Seventh-day Adventist church, has been supporting the needs of local community mums. Most recently, they launched the Affordable Wardrobe project, aimed at addressing the cost-of-living crisis.
“People are stretching their last dollars and we see it amongst our mums especially,” says Larissa Forbes-Wilson, volunteer moderator for Mildura Mums At The Table. “From clothing their kids to feeding their kids, it’s everywhere.”
Mums At The Table, a ministry of Adventist Media, partners with local Seventh-day Adventist churches to serve mums in the local community. Working with volunteer moderators from local churches, Mums At The Table organises in-person events to connect with community mums. The ministry also shares parenting information on digital media.
Lyndell Macgillivry, Jodie De Groot, Jenna Edwards, Holly Munro, Ashley Ferry, Sandra Ferry and Larissa are the volunteer moderators for the Mildura group. Since its inception in February 2023, they have been actively involved in serving the community. They have launched several initiatives to reach all demographics of mums, tailoring different experiences for different parts of the community.
These include healthy lunchboxes sessions, food hampers for mums facing hardships or fleeing domestic violence, the Affordable Wardrobe project, playground meet-ups, dessert nights, walk and talk meet-ups, weekly playgroups, a child-and-baby first aid course, craft or exercise sessions in the park, and a Mother’s Day community event.
Through the Affordable Wardrobe, mums can find good quality children’s clothing, receiving the clothes for free or through a donation if they feel impressed to contribute. All the clothes in the Affordable Wardrobe are donated, and Larissa washes, sorts and stores the clothes in her garage until the next event.
The Affordable Wardrobe typically operates at the Mildura Seventh-day Adventist church hall while playgroup is happening. This way, the kids are able to play while their mums “shop”. It is open to everyone and has received a great response from the community.
“Mums are just so happy to be able to pick up high-quality clothing . . . so many just can’t believe the generosity of others,” says Larissa.
Towards the end of last year, Emily* attended the group’s dessert night event. At the end of the night, she confided in Ashley that she had been looking for a church community to join. She was also interested in learning more about Christianity. Emily’s baby was only five weeks old when she first started attending Mums At The Table events, and she found that connecting with like-minded mums really helped her in her motherhood journey. Emily has since been attending all Mums At The Table events and has connected well with the other mums from the Mildura Adventist church.
When Sam* first joined Mums At The Table, she was searching for a space where she could have a break from her kids, as she is a single mum and always “switched on”. She reflected that the group has provided her with a space where she can relax and have a laugh, chat with other mums and take time-out from her kids.
Through the partnership with the Mildura Adventist church, Mums At The Table is actively fostering a supportive network in Mildura to provide assistance to mums in need and serve the community.
Churches or individuals interested in being part of the ministry can contact Mums At The Table at hello@MumsAtTheTable.com
*Names changed to protect privacy
