The Essentials Collective

A few weeks ago, students from Dianella Secondary College came together to assemble care packs filled with essential hygiene and personal care items.

This week, those care packs were delivered to Wungening Aboriginal Corporation's Boorloo Bidee Mia supported accommodation site, supporting people experiencing homelessness in our community.

Such a wonderful example of what can happen when community comes together - from students giving their time, to volunteers coordinating deliveries, and local organisations ensuring these essential items reach the people who need them.

Thank you to the students and staff at Dianella Secondary College for your support and enthusiasm. We know these care packs will make a meaningful difference.

💜 As we approach the end of the financial year, we're inviting our community to help us continue this work. Every tax-deductible donation helps us provide essential hygiene and personal care items that support dignity, confidence and wellbeing.

Donate before 30 June: https://www.theessentialscollective.org/donate

💜 A huge thank you to the Year 9 P+ Program students from Morley Senior High School, who organised a collection of hygiene and personal care items as part of their project focused on poverty and community support.

Thanks also to everyone who donated. These items will help provide practical support to people doing it tough across Perth.

We love seeing young young people not only learning about social issues, but taking action to help others. 👏💜

💜 What a community effort.

The 2026 Collecting the Basics donations have been carefully sorted and counted, and we're delighted to share the results.

✨ 5,765 essential items collected
✨ Valued over $19,000

That's more than 1,200 increased items compared to last year's campaign!

Donations included toiletries, dental products, hair care items, sanitary products, deodorant and other everyday essentials that help support dignity and wellbeing for people doing it tough.

A heartfelt thank you to our campaign sponsor, EEO Specialists, who have now been supporting us for four consecutive years as Campaign Sponsor and Operational Sponsor.

A special thank you to our 35 donation box hosts across Perth who opened their workplaces, businesses, community centres and offices to help collect donations.

And to everyone who donated, volunteered, shared a post, hosted a collection, encouraged a friend, or helped spread the word - thank you!

Every contribution played a part in this result.

Many of these items have already been distributed to frontline charities, with more deliveries taking place over the coming days. 💜

💙 Over 70 care packs packed with care! 💙

A huge thank you to the amazing Year 11 students at Dianella Secondary College Education Support Centre who recently welcomed The Essentials Collective for a special volunteering session.

Students learnt about:
✨ who we are
✨ what we do
✨ why volunteering matters
✨ how small acts of kindness can make a real difference

Then it was time to get hands-on! 🙌

Working together, students packed 70+ care packs for men and women experiencing disadvantage in our community. These packs will soon be delivered to one of our frontline Beneficiary Partners, likely supporting people experiencing homelessness.

Every pack was thoughtfully prepared; proof that small actions really can make a big impact 💙

Thank you to the wonderful students and staff for having us!

Today, on National Family Violence Remembrance Day, we pause to remember and honour those whose lives have been lost to family and domestic violence.

We acknowledge the courage and resilience of survivors, and stand in solidarity with the families, friends and communities who continue to feel the impact.

At The Essentials Collective, we support frontline organisations across WA who are providing practical, on-the-ground support to people experiencing family and domestic violence, helping ensure access to essential items that support dignity, wellbeing and a sense of normalcy during incredibly difficult times.

As our Collecting the Basics campaign comes to a close today, we are reminded of the importance of community support, and the role we can all play in helping others feel safe, seen and supported.

If you or someone you know needs support:
💜 1800 RESPECT – 1800 737 732
💜 Lifeline – 13 11 14
💜 13YARN – 13 92 76

You are not alone.

💜 Final days to donate.

Our Collecting the Basics campaign wraps up on National Family Violence Remembrance Day, as part of Domestic Violence Prevention Month - Wednesday, 6 May.

This day is a reminder of the importance of supporting people experiencing family and domestic violence; many of whom rely on frontline services for practical, everyday essentials during incredibly difficult times.

Through this campaign, your donations help ensure items like shampoo, deodorant, toothpaste and sanitary products are available to support dignity, wellbeing and a sense of normalcy.

With 34 drop-off locations across Perth, there’s still time to make a difference.

🛒 Add one extra item to your shop and drop it into a donation box near you:
https://www.theessentialscollective.org/campaign-drop-off-sites-map

If you’ve been meaning to contribute, now is your last chance.

Every donation counts! Thank you for helping support people in our community 💜

💜 Just over one week left to support the Collecting the Basics campaign.

Recently, we delivered over 1,000 essential items of mini toiletries and sanitary products to support the work of Street Chaplains - South East Metropolitan, who provide on-the-ground support to rough sleepers and vulnerable people across Perth.

These items may seem small, but they play an important role in supporting dignity, wellbeing and everyday comfort.

With just one week to go of the Collecting the Basics campaign, there’s still time to be part of this impact.

🛒 Add one extra item to your shop this week and drop it into one of our 34 locations across Perth.
https://www.theessentialscollective.org/campaign-drop-off-sites-map

Every donation makes a difference 💜