Our Story
Why
It began with a simple act of generosity. When Evie’s first child outgrew his baby clothes, she posted them on Facebook Marketplace — free to anyone who needed them. Within hours, a local social worker from Casino reached out. She shared that there was enormous need in the Aboriginal community. Families were struggling. Some babies were being removed from their mothers — not because they weren’t loved, but because a lack of essentials was being mistaken for a lack of care by the healthcare system.
Evie was heartbroken. She couldn’t unhear those stories. So she did what she could — using the COVID supplement she received at the time, she and her mum, Jennifer, began buying and gifting new baby clothes to the social worker who gave them to families who needed them most. They did this quietly, for over 12 months, and demand was growing. But it wasn’t sustainable on their own. Evie was determined to make it happen. She knew this could really be something.
How
Around this time, Evie met Pam through their local RFS brigade. Pam brought years of experience in business, charity governance, and impact-driven community work. Together, they gathered a team of skilled, passionate Board members and founded Coolamon Community — a First Nations-led charity focused on supporting strong beginnings for Aboriginal mothers and babies.
In communities where historical trauma runs deep, trust in the healthcare system can be fragile — and easily broken. We wanted to help rebuild that trust by working alongside culturally safe Aboriginal Health Services (AHS), supporting the care already being delivered by trusted midwives and health workers in community.
From the very beginning, we listened. We spent time yarning with Aboriginal Health Services, midwives, community Elders, social workers, doctors, and paediatricians. We asked what families really needed — not just physically, but emotionally and culturally. What came from those conversations was The Coolamon: a baby care bundle filled with high-quality essentials, grounded in cultural respect, designed to wrap both baby and mum in care and dignity.
Today
We’re proud to work with generous and thoughtful partners — the Aboriginal Health Services we partner with and our generous suppliers including Bonds, Purebaby, Medela, Kangaroo Bedding, Ego, Brookfarm and many others — who share our commitment to quality and care. Their support helps us ensure every item in a Coolamon is beautiful, purposeful, and worthy of the precious new life it celebrates.
Today, every Coolamon is packed by volunteers and delivered into the trusted hands of Aboriginal Health Service workers across regional and remote Australia. It’s more than a box — it’s a message that every baby matters, that every mother deserves support, and that culture and connection are at the heart of strong beginnings.
What began as an idea has grown into something making positive intergenerational impact. Every item we give is new — a symbol of dignity, care and respect. We’re building a movement to change the story for Aboriginal mothers and babies, one Coolamon at a time.
