Take what you need; add what you can …

At the YMCA, one of our aims is to help the communities we operate in to live happy, healthy lives. Last November, after recognising a need, YMCA Portsea launched a Community Cupboard. The slogan on the side says it all: ‘Take what you need, add what you can.’

Located outside YMCA Portsea Nursery, the cupboard contains donated clothes, shoes, food and home wear from Nursery families and local community members which are available for anyone who needs it to take. The launch was a huge success, with Facebook posts reaching over 7000 people. And donations were just as generous as Facebook shares.

Thanks to the support we have received, we’ve been able to help lots of local families in the community with donations of children’s clothes and food and other items are regularly added to and taken from the cupboard. Coming soon, we will be starting a monthly clothes swap at YMCA Portsea, giving families the opportunity to swap the clothes their children have outgrown for the next size up.

Please help us to spread the word and let us know if this would be useful in your local community; get in touch with us on Facebook.