Providing community support for tired families

Enthusiastic. Caring. Knowledgeable

When Christy Hartlage moved to the Blue Mountains from New Zealand, she had a 10-month-old son who didn’t sleep and no support in the area to offer her respite.

“I would often cry wishing we had a grandmother nearby who wanted to hold the baby so I could have a shower or something to eat,” says Christy.

YAWN (You Ask, We Nurture), was born eight years ago out of Christy’s experience “and the amazing community support we eventually found”.

Christy runs YAWN as part of Connect Child and Family Services and links volunteers with parents who need a helping hand.

She says that being voted a Westfield Local Hero is a “fantastic acknowledgement” of the service that YAWN provides.

“The more validation we have, the more we can show how important it is to support families when a baby is born.”

YAWN’s approach is all about kindness. The kindness of a volunteer giving time to a parent when they need help; and parents understanding that they can be kind to themselves and that it is okay to need a break sometimes. It is also about creating a community that values families.

“We provide support to families at a vulnerable time,” says Christy. “The birth of a baby is a joyful occasion, but it is also demanding and sometimes overwhelming.”

Sometimes, however, Christie must also support a volunteer. For example, when a mum may have been crying for the whole of a two-hour visit because her baby has been sick for the first time. “While it is important to be present in that situation, it is not an easy thing to do,” says Christie.

Westfield Local Heroes are nominated and voted for by their communities, with the three top finalists per Westfield centre each awarded a $10,000 grant for their affiliated organisation.

The YAWN Program will use its grant to train more volunteers and support more families as well as to market its services and develop a social media strategy.

“We want to let the community know how we help families, and getting more volunteers is really important,” says Christy.

__For further information on the Westfield Local Heroes program, click here. __