Gather My Crew | Community organisation

Gather My Crew

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25.01.2022 Life isn’t perfect and when it takes a turn for the worst for someone you know - we’d like you to think of us. We offer a way to easily organise help for family and friends when it’s needed. To provide real support that will make a difference. Keep us in your back pocket. We hope you never need us - but when you do - we’ll be here.

24.01.2022 It’s not until you’re really pushed that you realise this. To everyone who is a part of our wonderful Gather My Crew Community - people in need, friends, family, hidden angels, followers and partners - who are facing all manner of challenges right now - cancer, lockdown, grief and loss, new baby, illness, job loss, bushfire recovery, injury - keep going. You've got this. Share with someone who has amazed you with their endurance.

24.01.2022 How wonderful should we see more of this?

23.01.2022 It wasn’t until my second baby was born that I realised how unprepared I was. I thought because I’d done it before I would be fine. But of course - having a new-born AND a toddler is pretty different to just a new-born. Reaching out to my friends was hard. I didn’t want to be a bother and they had their own families to worry about. I took a deep breath and created a list of things I needed help with (the main one was looking after my toddler so I could spend some one on ...one time with my new baby). I sent one email to my group and I was amazed at how quickly people signed up. The best part for me? It wasn’t just one person doing everything - lots of friends did one thing each so I felt less guilty. It was a life saver and got me through those first six months. Setting up a help roster is a great way to support new parents. Click the link to find out how it works. https://www.gathermycrew.org.au/new_baby/

23.01.2022 We thought it was time to freshen up a bit. We hope you like our new logo... keep an eye out for it.

23.01.2022 Such sad news to wake up to - but what an incredible difference he made to the world

22.01.2022 Our parents are getting older. It’s sad but true. They need more care and attention than they did before. Many are dealing with illness or mobility issues and often lack the social connections they so desperately want and need. As an adult, watching this happen to mum or dad can be heartbreaking. Trying to help can be overwhelming. If you’re lucky enough to have siblings or friends and family that want to help, we have a way to get everyone together (virtually) and on board.... Our free online help roster allows you to: Create a list of things mum or dad need help with Share this list with your siblings, friends or family Keep track of who is doing what, and when. Our users often set up help rosters for their parents and include tasks like: Getting mum to her weekly appointment Picking up dad’s monthly script from the chemist or Dropping off a couple of midweek dinners. It’s a great way to share the load and to show your support. For more information on setting up a help roster for your mum or dad, visit our website.

21.01.2022 Today is the day. R U OK Day

21.01.2022 She was raised a 'ward of the state'. She has no contact with her parents. She has no contact with the ‘agency’ that raised her. She tries to stay away from the friends she made as a teenager. She has moved house twice in the last 18 months to get away from a violent relationship She was 22 years old and a Mum of 2 little boys.... She reached out to Gather My Crew needing connection and emotional support. She wanted someone to talk to. Someone to hang out with. Someone to play with the kids so she could have a break. Someone to show her what support looks like She was reluctant to reach out to more ‘formal’ support as she was terrified her children would be taken away from her and placed in the same care system that had left her broken. But Gather My Crew could not help her. We do not place volunteers. This story has haunted us for the past two years This brave young woman found the strength to reach out and ask for the help she needed and we had to say ‘sorry. You can not get that help from here’. The most frustrating part of this situation was that in that very same week we were contacted by a woman wanting to volunteer her time. She was an older woman, with adult children, working part-time and looking for a way to help people and give back to her local community It could have been the perfect match. But Gather My Crew does not match people in need with local community members who are able to help Until now. Over the next couple of months, we are building a new platform called Find My Crew. This platform will ‘match’ people in need of help with local ‘support crews’ who are willing and able to provide that help. We hope that we are never again in the position where someone finds the strength to ask us for help and we have to say ‘sorry. You can not get that help here’. Due to launch later this year, you can read more about our plans at https://www.gathermycrew.org.au/find-my-crew/

20.01.2022 Did you know that over 400,000 people in Australia are living with Alzheimer's disease and dementia? They represent some of the most challenging people to care for in the community. While we know that partners and family members do this out of love - it is undeniably stressful, difficult, exhausing and, oftentimes, heartbreaking. ... So on this 'World Alzheimer's Day' we remember not just those who are living with this disease... but all of the wonderful people out there who are caring for them. Australian Alzheimer's Research Foundation Dementia Australia Carers Australia Carers Victoria Carers WA Carers SA Carers NSW Carers Tasmania Carers Queensland

19.01.2022 Connect with Gather My Crew - a new way to volunteer.

19.01.2022 Nothing quite changes your life like having a baby. Watch our Founder and CEO, Dr Susan Palmer talking about the importance of a support network when you get home and how coordinated care can make a big difference in those first few months. A great insight for those of you who are about to bring a little bundle into the world. Watch the short video here: https://www.facebook.com/376384959441309/videos/794580924634071... Or find more information on our website https://www.gathermycrew.org.au/new_baby/

19.01.2022 When you’re struggling with an illness or injury, day to day tasks - like washing clothes - are often not possible. That's why it’s number eight on our list of most requested help. Providing real support to someone who needs it can be as simple as helping out with their laundry. Our free online help roster makes it easy to organise friends and family to help out. ... Small acts of kindness can make a big difference.

19.01.2022 When a friend is diagnosed with cancer, it can be hard to know what to do. Providing emotional support is important, but it’s often the practical support that can really help someone through a tough time. Organising friends and family with our online help roster is a great way to have an impact. Whether it’s organising meals, scheduling lifts to appointments or arranging friends to take the kids on the weekends.... It’s about lightening the day to day load and giving them more time for the things they really need. For more information, visit our website.

18.01.2022 Hidden angel’s exist where you least expect Earlier this week, we shared a story about hidden angels. The people that turn up when times get tough. The people that you may not expect to be there, but who are. We know of one angel who drove their neighbour to the hospital for every chemo treatment and dropped them home again. They had done little more than wave to each other in the street before this. Another friend of ours had her old boss - who she worked for 7 years ago - ...drop food parcels at her door every week for a month when she heard that her husband had passed away. When a hidden angel comes to the fore, we’d like to celebrate it. To say thank you and to let them know how much they are appreciated. Tell us about your hidden angel. Was there someone you didn’t expect that stepped up and helped out? We’d love to know. And if you missed our post and you’d like to read about hidden angels, you can find it here. https://www.gathermycrew.org.au/we-call-them-hidden-angels/

17.01.2022 A part of me feels guilty that I can go out whenever I want. I am in Sydney while my best friend is in Melbourne. She is having a rough time. We speak a lot on the phone - but it’s not the same.... I wish I could visit her, give her a hug, have a glass of wine with her. She is doing her best and trying to stay positive but I know it is tough. The other day I was trying to think of ways that I could provide emotional support from afar... When we were younger and at uni, we did a road trip on the Great Ocean Road. It was so much fun - we had a tiny little rust bucket that was missing its side mirrors. The tape deck was one of the only things that worked - but it had a Simon & Garfunkle tape stuck in it and so we listened to this one tape non-stop for the whole trip. Every time I hear the song ‘Cecilia’ it reminds me of that trip and makes me smile. So I decided to send her a link to the song to cheer her up. She called me after she had opened the link, with 'Cecilia' blaring in the background. It was like we were back in that little car - travelling along the road, singing at the top of our lungs. It felt small to me - to send her the song - but it made a massive difference to her day, her week. And it made us both smile. It reminded me that small gestures can have a big impact. Let us know how you've been sharing the love during lockdown. We'd love some new ideas! Note from Gather My Crew - Most music streaming services (Spotify, Amazon, Apple Music) allow you to share music with friends. It’s an easy way to spread some joy.

17.01.2022 Say hello to our hidden angels. The wonderful team at dusk Australia (with a little cameo from Liz - our Business Development Manager). Without the ongoing support we receive from dusk (over 3 years now) we would not be able to do what we do. Thank you.

16.01.2022 One minute he was on the exercise bike, the next he was unconscious on the floor. It's a phone call you never want to receive. A morning that changed us forever. "Hi, this is Grant from the gym - your dad has gone into cardiac arrest. We've had to perform CPR and an ambulance is on the way." I was in total shock. My dad was one of the fittest people I knew and had been going to the gym daily for as long as I could remember.... I jumped in the car and was able to see dad before the ambulance took him. It was very surreal. I saw someone who was usually so vibrant and happy, lying on floor unable to sit up and clearly distraught. The paramedics were amazing (as they always are) and assured me that dad was in good hands. The fact that the people in the gym had performed CPR is what saved his life. After a number of tests in hospital, dad had a stent put into his heart. He had cracked ribs from the CPR and was told to take it easy for a while and that he was not to drive. My dad, who lives alone and is very independent, didn't want any fuss. He was reluctant to tell many people as he didn't want them going out of their way to help. But that is exactly what people wanted to do. To help. After much convincing, I was 'allowed' to organise a few people to take his dog to the park everyday. Dad's beautiful friends worked out a meal roster and delivered care packages of food to his door. A few close friends took turns driving him to his check up appointments and we made sure he had someone visiting daily for a coffee and a chat. I have so much love for those friends who stood up and helped dad when he needed it most. Without them it would have been a much longer road to recovery. He got the practical support he needed - plus the extra bit of love that he deserved. Thank you to those gorgeous friends and thank you Gather My Crew. If you have a recovery story to share - let us know below. Who helped you? Heart Foundation

16.01.2022 Wishing all of the dads out there a very happy day!

15.01.2022 Providing practical help doesn't have to be complicated. Set up a free roster and invite your family to help. It's that simple. To find out more on setting up a free help roster, visit our website

14.01.2022 We know of a family whose son was diagnosed with a serious illness. Their gorgeous primary school community got behind them and provided many beautiful meals. However, this family of vegetarians ended up with a freezer full of food they could not eat and were too embarrassed to let the school know of their dietary requirements for fear of being thought of as ‘ungrateful’. All the while, what they really needed was help collecting the kids from school on the days when Mum need...ed to stay at the hospital with their sick brother. How frustrating is this? An amazing community was there and ready to help they just needed the right guidance and tools so that their help was targeted to have the greatest impact. When you create an account on Gather My Crew, you are prompted with a list of 65 tasks (all based on our research) that trigger people (both the person in need and their support network) to think more broadly about the many ways people can help during tough times. From home help, social connection or transport, we have gathered this list from people who have ‘been there, done that’ and know all of the little things that can make a real impact when going through a tough time. Our most successful and impactful support crews have friends and family who have thought about the specific situation and rostered the crew to provide a range of tasks such as transport to treatment, social visits, doing the laundry, dropping off bread and milk, weekend childcare and walking the family dog. When you need help or know someone that does - our free technology is ready and waiting.

13.01.2022 We love this kind of sauce... what else would you add?

11.01.2022 Have you heard the news? For three years, we’ve helped people coordinate support for their family and friends. But finding ways for our technology to help people who DO NOT have any family or friends around them has been on our minds for years. It has been a ‘ONE DAY WE WILL FIX THIS’ goal for Gather My Crew. ... Well it’s finally happening. And we can’t wait. Our newest platform will safely and securely link people in need of help with their local community who are able and willing to provide help. We will have more details to share over the next few months - so stay tuned. If you’d like more information now - visit https://www.gathermycrew.org.au/find-my-crew/

11.01.2022 "Getting the help you need from the people that you need it from" - that is what Sally told us was the best thing about Gather My Crew. She really likes the 'inner circle' function that lets you choose which people in your 'support crew' can see your more sensitive tasks... We agree Sally. When going through a tough time - it is important to get the help you need. But it is also important that the help is provided by people that make you feel comfortable.... When you create a support crew with Gather My Crew - you have the option to set up an ‘inner circle’ of close friends and family who can help with more personal things like changing the bed sheets, help you change surgical dressings or take the kids for a sleepover. While other friends can help with meal drop offs or walking the dog. To find out more, visit our website.

11.01.2022 Yes! Happy Friday everybody Feel free to share this with THAT person x Thanks Quotes by Christie for the wise words.

09.01.2022 When did you need a support crew? When my sister broke her arm, the first question my kids asked was ‘how will our cousins get to school?’ My sister usually drives to pick up and drop off but when she broke her arm she couldn’t use the car for a few weeks.... I spoke to Anje and she mentioned Gather My Crew. I hadn’t heard of them before but did a quick google and it seemed to fit the bill. Anje gave me a list of email addresses for families that lived near her. I signed up on her behalf and sent a group invitation to everyone on the list. It let me explain the situation Anje was in and ask if anyone could help with lifts for the kids on specific days. Only having to send the request once was brilliant. We had 5 families sign up in total and within a few days, getting the kids to and from school was sorted. One of the mums who helped said it was great to have a list of days to choose from. Her kids do a lot of after school sport and was worried it might not work - but she chose the day they had nothing on and did the driving then. It felt good that I could help Anje by setting it up for her and my kids were happy their cousins could make it to school even a little envious they got to go with friends each day. We all need help sometimes. Organising a support crew is the first step. Let us know if you've had to organise help for your family. Was it easy? How did you do it? For more information on how to help after an injury or operation, click here https://www.gathermycrew.org.au/rehab/

08.01.2022 Nurses, doctors, social workers, psychologists, palliative care specialists and oncologists. Focus groups, patients, families and clinicians. We spoke to a lot of experts to ensure what we were offering would work. Our help roster technology was researched for twelve months before we launched. And it’s always evolving. Our aim is to make organising help easy. To be there when people need us. We’d love to know what you think

07.01.2022 Every day, 22 women lose their lives to heart disease. This was a little shocking to us. Traditionally we think of heart disease as a male problem - but it kills nearly THREE times as many women as breast cancer does. Today is World Heart Day and we’d like you to take a moment to think about your heart. Our friends Heart Foundation have some brilliant information that we can all access. It’s a great place to start if you want to improve your heart.... And if you or someone you know is struggling with heart disease and need practical support - then think about creating a Gather My Crew account. We make it simple to coordinate friends and families in tough times.

07.01.2022 We call them ‘hidden angels’. The people who, before this all happened, you did not think of as part of your inner circle. But when times get tough, they are the people that just keep turning up. They are not your closest of friends and often they are not the people you expected to be there for you. They are the hidden supports that come to the fore during your darkest days and can become the most precious part of your experience.... It might be the neighbour three doors down that you only ever waved ‘hello’ to or that old school friend you have not seen for 10 years. It could be a parent in your kids class, a work colleague who you never socialised with or someone from the group at the dog park. I was reminded of the power of these wonderful people this weekend when I read a comment by Rosie Batty in The Age on Sunday. She says People that you think are going to go the distance you look around and realise you no longer hear from them. For me, I felt senses of abandonment and rejection. She goes on to say that the upside is that amazing people come in. It is hard to bear witness to someone else’s pain and the desire to avoid this pain can leave those in need feeling all alone at a time when community is so important. But it is important to remember that walking among us are ‘hidden angels’. Those who step up to support people during their darkest hour, who take the step past just saying ‘let me know how I can help’ and who build lasting and powerful relationships for life. We want to send a shout out to all the hidden angels out there. You are the definition of empathy and community. Do you have a hidden angel in your life? Share this post with them or send them a shout out in our comments below.

06.01.2022 We’re feeling grateful for our little team here at Gather My Crew. We may be small, but we have big dreams. Let us know what you're feeling grateful for? Is it big or small?

04.01.2022 Why do we find asking for help so hard?

03.01.2022 Some people do not have friends and family they can ask for help. We know this. We also know that there are people out there who would be able to help if only they knew what was needed.... Finding ways to help people who do not have any family or friends around them has been on our minds for years. It has been a ‘ONE DAY WE WILL FIX THIS’ goal for Gather My Crew. Something we addressed in our strategic plan - but was set well into the future. We just could not attract the funding to make this a reality Then we started talking with the State Government of Victoria earlier this year and that leads us to this super exciting announcement WE HAVE RECEIVED FUNDING FROM THE STATE GOVERNMENT OF VICTORIA TO FIX THIS NOW. Developed with the help of our wonderful partner organisations (including Volunteering Victoria, Australian Red Cross - Victoria, Justice Connect, Bayside City Council, Victoria, Yarra Ranges Council, City of Greater Shepparton), we will be launching a new Gather My Crew initiative called ‘Find My Crew’. This new platform will safely and securely link people in need of help with their local community who are able and willing to provide help. We have been dreaming about this for YEARS and are just incredibly grateful that we now have the opportunity to make a difference in this space. You can find out more about this project on our website https://www.gathermycrew.org.au/find-my-crew/ and, if you want to bring Find My Crew to your local area, leave your details in the 'What's Next' area on the website and we will keep you in the loop as things develop.

03.01.2022 These are just a few of the practical day to day tasks you can organise with us. A simple online help roster can be set up and managed to help those close to you get through tough times. If you know someone that needs help - click through to our website for more information. https://www.gathermycrew.org.au

02.01.2022 It really is a super power!