July Member of the Month – Cire Services

We are excited to celebrate and congratulate our July Member of the Month, Cire Services! Cire Services is one of the largest NFPs in the Yarra Ranges, with a focus on empowerment through learning opportunities and education. Their mission is to help people of all ages, particularly those experiencing poverty and disadvantage in its many forms.

We interviewed Cire Services’ Partnerships and Funding Manager, Sandra Bucovas asking her about some of her favourite moments and how Good360 supports Cire’s work.

What programs do you use your Good360 donations for? Who does the program serve? How does it impact Australians in need?

Cire Services focus on empowerment through learning opportunities and education, our mission is to help people of all ages, particularly those experiencing poverty and disadvantage in its many forms.

We operate across multiple sites across our region which covers the largest geographic area of any LGA in Victoria. Some of the towns in our reach are on the lowest percentile of the ABS’s Socio-Economic Indexes for Areas.

Cire is privileged to be part of the Good360 network. It has enabled us to deliver such joy and unexpected generosity/helping hand as well as boost the self-esteem and self-worth of people in our reach with Good360 donations to us totalling over $100,000 (RRP). It has been even more appreciated during these current unprecedented and particularly challenging times when people are doing it tougher than ever. Good360 and your donors, we cannot thank you enough!

Our core operations are:

• Cire Children’s Services – Children’s Services delivers long daycare including integrated kindergarten programs; occasional care; outside school hours care; vacation care; and other family and children’s services including playgroups.
• Cire Community School – Our school offers educational options and approaches for vulnerable students from years 7 to 12 needing a positive alternative to mainstream education
• Cire Training, our Registered Training Organisation (RTO) – Cire Training delivers Vocational Education and Training (VET) and accredited and pre-accredited courses. Through our Women’s Warehouse program, we have established First Impressions Clothing Exchange (FICE) at Mooroolbark targeting financially disadvantaged and long-term unemployed women.
• Cire Community Hubs – Our hubs offer a diverse range of programs and services to people of all ages from families with newborns through to seniors.

What is your favourite moment/interaction that you have had with a client when utilising Good360 product?

Children’s Services

Mother’s and special person’s day gifts and also toilet rolls during Stage 3 COVID lockdown. Our families were stressed, anxious and their mental health was suffering.  Many had lost their jobs, been stood down or had reduced hours so money was very tight – receiving the toilet rolls and gift packs helped them feel special, brighten their day and helped them to feel appreciated and connected to our services and their community.  It also meant they didn’t need to buy some of the items saving them money when they were doing it tougher than ever.

First Impressions Clothing Exchange

We have had makeup days/workshops pre COVID and also virtually during restrictions periods, using pampering to help boost the self-esteem and emotional wellbeing of our vulnerable women. These events have been hosted by a professional makeup up artist. At the onsite event with bubbles and nibbles, and through the Good360 network, we were able to give the ladies pamper packs full of quality makeup items. We organised collection of the pamper packs during Stage 3. The women were ‘blown away’ with the generosity, the level of which many had never experienced previously.

How does Good360 help your mission?

There is such a need to support and nurture our most vulnerable. The Good360 network enables us to go above and beyond, the donated items allow us to add those extra touches of support that we wouldn’t normally be able to otherwise. Our partnership with Good360 also enables us to connect and engage with our community and further our reach to those most in need.

What would happen if Good360 wasn’t here to help?

Without Good360, we would not be able to do the extra things we do to boost self-esteem and help empower people within our reach. A little bit of pampering, unexpected generosity goes a long way in helping engage people experiencing disadvantage and provide them with a sense of belonging and self-worth.

What is your favourite donation you have received from Good360? Why?

• L’Oréal makeup used included in gift packs/ ‘cups of kindness’ for mother’s and special person’s day as well as FICE pamper packs.
• LEGO for our preschoolers
• Jamie Oliver kitchenware which impressed our seniors and other learners at morning tea at Cire Training and our Community Hubs, with all the matching cups/bowls/plates
• Quilton toilet rolls during the panic buying of Stage 3 COVID restrictions. Those who benefitted included families who were and continue to do it tougher than ever, and elderly and those with disabilities who were too scared to leave their homes to shop for essentials.
• Yarra Trail clothing for FICE. Such lovely clothing for our ladies to make them feel special.
• BIG W Lilydale. Included clothing and footwear for men/women/children. Very timely as we were able to distribute many items in June between COVID lockdowns to those doing it particularly hard.

First Impressions Clothing Exchange: ‘It was priceless to see the beams of sheer joy on the women’s faces when they opened their bag of (makeup) goodies.’

Community Hubs/Children’s Services networks: ‘Who’d ever believe the “gifting” of toilet paper would be so appreciated.’

How many lives have you impacted through Good360’s donations?

Difficult because our services are so diverse and we have such an extensive geographic reach. Approx. 600 as a rough estimate.