Mullum Cares is Raising Funds
Organised by Sasha Mainsbridge, Founder & President of Mullum Cares with the assistance of Eileen McLaughlin (a legendary intern from the US).
Since I arrived in Mullum in late 2014, everything I have created under the Mullum Cares banner has been to support and inspire myself, my community and visitors to our region to reduce our negative impact on the planet, its poorer communities, wildlife and climate change by making better choices as consumers.
Like most not for profits, I have poured my heart and soul, time and money into the organisation and had many, many others do the same. So much of what we do cant be billed to the people who benefit. Grants are hard won, time consuming and the ongoing need to keep applying is so stressful we are simply too tired to stay on that merry go round. Selling anything new to make money is completely against Mullum Cares purpose so the option we are considering that could secure reliable financial sustenance for us and support all our projects is by opening an Op Shop that sells only second hand (post consumer) goods AND finds ways for our community to reuse and repurpose items that are not fit for resale.
Did you know the average Australian Op Shop only sells 15% of the donations it receives? Nearly all of the remaining 85% end up in landfill.
We would love the opportunity to find ways to stop this radically increase the circularity of goods donated to op shops by running one ourselves and trying different ideas out that result in items not fit for sale being reused or repurposed instead of ending up in landfill.
If you've ever thought the work of Mullum Cares worthy of support and you can afford to donate please give generously and encourage others in a similar position to do so as this campaign is designed to be the only fundraising campaign Mullum Cares should ever need to do.
We are looking for a commercial premises to open our own version of an Op Shop that will offer workshops, talks and movie nights in addition to reselling goods that our community has donated
This will be our Salvage Culture Project redesigned and revived after it was shelved due to Covid and the Floods.
A shop and the proceeds it will generate will drive circular economy outcomes directly as well as underpin the existing activities and projects of Mullum Cares
Our Library of Stuff project has grown to support hundreds of local families and the assets that support both big and small events radically amplify the waste being avoided by this pumping operation. It needs a dependable co ordinator though and our funding for this role runs out at the end of December so funds raised in this campaign will be used in part to continue this position until proceeds from the shop can underwrite this expense.
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The Flood Resilient Rebuild of our region is now underway headed by the Northern Rivers Reconstruction Corporation. Mullum Cares is being funded to develop Flood Resilient Retrofitting information but the NRRC wont pay for the one on one, face to face support my team has been providing to our community of flooded residents. Funds raised in this campaign will allow that service to continue throughout 2023.
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Our Sustainable Events activities are more in demand than ever now the sector has fully reopened after Covid. I need to train people, lots of people on how to manage events using washable plates and cups and cable ties! There is great potential in this space but I can’t do it all! Funds raised will help us employ a new head of Events to scale this service to support more local events.
