A Sailors Gully woman has turned her own bad experiences around to try and help other parents going through a tough time.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Sammy Lysaght will host a pop-up op shop next Sunday, May 1, at which struggling parents and others in need can get clothing, linen, homeware and other items – all for free.
It will be the second event of its kind Ms Lysaght has held after starting a Facebook group about 10 months ago called Bendigo Surrounds Single Mothers in Need.
Ms Lysaght said she founded the group to support other single mothers who were doing it tough, but the group was open to anyone in the Bendigo area who needed a hand, with single dads also among their number.
She said she had been through hard times herself and had turned her life around after falling pregnant with three-year-old son Joshuah, which prompted her to reach out and help others.
The pop-up op shop will be stocked with donated items, from which people can choose what they need.
“I don’t ask them for a cent, they’re doing it hard,” Ms Lysaght said.
“It’s hard enough for them to ask for help.”
She said she had already received strong support in her efforts from the community, with donations from across the state and even as far afield as New South Wales.
“People are amazing,” Ms Lysaght said.
Through the group Ms Lysaght also holds other free events, including play groups, and helps out parents in emergency situations.
Ms Lysaght said the op shop could only open to group members for insurance reasons, but anyone was welcome to donate.
She said she was in particular need of disposable baby items, such as nappies, baby wipes and baby wash, all of which needed to be new and unopened.
Portable cots were also needed, she said, to give to parents in urgent need.
For more information or to contact Ms Lysaght, search for Bendigo Surrounds Single Mothers in Need on Facebook.