Iris Foundation approaching our 15th anniversary

July 5, 2021

We think it’s worth celebrating – 15 years of supporting our Central Coast community to help reduce the risk of suicide.

Founded by Bev Baldwin and Dawn Hooper in 2006, Iris Foundation has grown from a small-scale fundraiser to become an organisation that supports a wide range of local people, from pre-adolescents right through to seniors.

We believe that in strengthening the values of resilience, hope and connections, we help to foster a sense of belonging, worthiness and mutual support in our local community.

We’re celebrating this milestone with a buffet dinner at Breakers Country Club on August 10. This is our opportunity to acknowledge those that have been a part of our journey so far, to recognise achievements over the years and to celebrate with our cherished community of supporters and friends.

 

Update 22 July, 2021: Please note that due to the ongoing uncertainty around COVID-19 restrictions, this event has been cancelled and tickets refunded. Celebrations will be rescheduled at a later date.

Iris Foundation welcomes the Because We Care Boutique
Iris Foundation is pleased to announce that we will manage the successful Because We Care Boutique from July 1.

Located at the Berkeley Centre, Glenning Valley, the Boutique empowers women who have faced significant challenges, and who need support to get their mental and financial well-being on track.

Volunteer stylists help women who are entering (or re-entering) the workforce, attending court, or are otherwise in need of professional attire. Clients select donated clothing, shoes and accessories, and receive hair and make-up advice as required.

Iris Foundation has taken on the Boutique as part of a larger aim to support women’s well-being on the Central Coast. Boutique Co-ordinator Sharyn Becker also runs our well-established Community and Business Women’s Network, whose members are keen to support local women overcoming disadvantage.
To find out more about the Because We Care Boutique, click here or follow on Facebook: www.facebook.com/becausewecareboutiquecentralcoast/

On June 30, Iris Foundation completed an extensive Connections in School project funded by the Newcastle Permanent Charitable Foundation.

Thanks to this generosity, Iris Foundation has continued to provide direct mental health support in local schools – a need that has only grown more urgent with the advent of COVID-19.

The financial backing of NPCF allowed our facilitators to deliver 15 Cool Connections in School resilience programs (for participants in Years 5 and 6) and 2 Y-Connections programs (for participants in Years 7 and 8) in often challenging circumstances.

The board and staff of Iris Foundation is profoundly grateful for NPCF’s unwavering support and partnership during 2020/21, which has directly benefited more than 160 local families.

For more information about our programs,  click here.

Iris Foundation was founded by local people with big dreams, and we are excited to support a new grassroots initiative – Hope Family Cottage.

Hope Family Cottage is a newly established community-based organisation which will provide supervised child contact and family support services to those experiencing family break down and crises.

The current priority of Hope Family Cottage is to raise $30,000 in order to buy a safe, modern and reliable vehicle to facilitate hand-overs for children, transport children to and from their supervised contact with their mum/dad and establish a community outreach program which provides hands-on help to single parents as they work to re-establish their lives following family breakdown.

To find out more, click here.

To make a secure donation, click here

The board and staff of Iris Foundation extends our best wishes to our supporters and their loved ones. Stay safe, healthy and connected.

Help us reduce the risk of suicide

To make a tax-deductible donation in support of mental health on the Central Coast, click here.

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