A collaboration between Goodstart Western Australia and Communicare is giving job seekers a chance to gain valuable skills and experience while helping improve early learning outcomes for children.
The program helps job seekers get back into the routine of work and learn skills in carpentry and textiles, whilst developing a range of toys and resources for the children at Goodstart centres.
Area manager Michaela Griffin, who formed the partnership with Communicare earlier this year, said she wanted to make a difference in the community by providing opportunities to those in need.
“The partnership ensures the benefits are felt not just with the children in our service, but also job seekers looking to gain valuable work experience,” she said.
Ms Griffin said she was pleased with the success achieved so far which has seen job seekers involved in designing and producing hats and bags, musical items, storage boxes and wooden kitchen sets for the children to play with.
“We will distribute book bags to our Kindergarten children later this year, which have been beautifully crafted by participants in the work experience program,” Ms Griffin said. “The bags will be used by the children to borrow books from the in-centre library as a way to extended early literacy in the home environment.”
“It’s such a rewarding experience to be able to see the items being created for the children, and knowing that you’re helping people build new skills, gain experience and confidence to move into the workforce,” she said.
Ms Griffin said part of the success of program had come about through the collaborative approach with Communicare.
“Every month I visit the different production sites to share ideas and look at prototypes the participants are creating. The visits provide a great opportunity to thank the participants for their work and share insights of how the children can use the resources,” she said.
Ms Griffin is currently working with Communicare to turn her wedding dress into garments for premature babies and Angel babies.
“I made a conscious decision when I purchased my wedding dress to donate it to be made into clothes for premature babies and Angel babies. I know so many people who have felt the loss of a baby or the fear of losing their baby.
"There is nothing in those moments that anyone can do to make these families feel better, but I just hope that the joy and love from my wedding dress will bring them luck and love from my family to theirs,” Ms Griffin said.
“Angel Gowns is currently not accepting dresses as their storage facilities are full - which is a wonderful problem - but when I found out that Communicare could help create the gowns I jumped at the opportunity,” she said.
“Three of my colleagues have also offered to donate their wedding dress for the cause, which is an amazing contribution. Thank you to Leanne Bockett, Jo Chapman and Claire McKimmie for also donating their wedding dresses.”
Ms Griffin and Ms Bockett presented the wedding dresses to the team at Communicare on Wednesday 10 May.
Over the next few months, seamstresses will transform the dresses into beautiful one-of-a-kind gowns which will then be donated by Communicare to The Women and Infants Research Foundation in Subiaco.
The program helps job seekers get back into the routine of work and learn skills in carpentry and textiles, whilst developing a range of toys and resources for the children at Goodstart centres.
Area manager Michaela Griffin, who formed the partnership with Communicare earlier this year, said she wanted to make a difference in the community by providing opportunities to those in need.
“The partnership ensures the benefits are felt not just with the children in our service, but also job seekers looking to gain valuable work experience,” she said.
Ms Griffin said she was pleased with the success achieved so far which has seen job seekers involved in designing and producing hats and bags, musical items, storage boxes and wooden kitchen sets for the children to play with.
“We will distribute book bags to our Kindergarten children later this year, which have been beautifully crafted by participants in the work experience program,” Ms Griffin said. “The bags will be used by the children to borrow books from the in-centre library as a way to extended early literacy in the home environment.”
“It’s such a rewarding experience to be able to see the items being created for the children, and knowing that you’re helping people build new skills, gain experience and confidence to move into the workforce,” she said.
Ms Griffin said part of the success of program had come about through the collaborative approach with Communicare.
“Every month I visit the different production sites to share ideas and look at prototypes the participants are creating. The visits provide a great opportunity to thank the participants for their work and share insights of how the children can use the resources,” she said.
Ms Griffin is currently working with Communicare to turn her wedding dress into garments for premature babies and Angel babies.
“I made a conscious decision when I purchased my wedding dress to donate it to be made into clothes for premature babies and Angel babies. I know so many people who have felt the loss of a baby or the fear of losing their baby.
"There is nothing in those moments that anyone can do to make these families feel better, but I just hope that the joy and love from my wedding dress will bring them luck and love from my family to theirs,” Ms Griffin said.
“Angel Gowns is currently not accepting dresses as their storage facilities are full - which is a wonderful problem - but when I found out that Communicare could help create the gowns I jumped at the opportunity,” she said.
“Three of my colleagues have also offered to donate their wedding dress for the cause, which is an amazing contribution. Thank you to Leanne Bockett, Jo Chapman and Claire McKimmie for also donating their wedding dresses.”
Ms Griffin and Ms Bockett presented the wedding dresses to the team at Communicare on Wednesday 10 May.
Over the next few months, seamstresses will transform the dresses into beautiful one-of-a-kind gowns which will then be donated by Communicare to The Women and Infants Research Foundation in Subiaco.