The 2BMe Foundation is dedicated to providing solutions to Australian women and children who lack the support or resources to achieve their personal potential and life goals. Its board is made up of Peninsula business owners who donate their time and services; among them is Beckie White, from Miss Velvet Styling boutique in Frankston. Over the past few years Beckie has run an event to raise money for the 2BMe Foundation called the Circle of Life.
2BMe was formed in early 2015, and by leveraging community networks and fundraising capabilities it supports those women and children who are ready to realise their potential. Their support can either be direct or via a service provider. 2BMe also focuses on helping those who are ready to help themselves and lack the resources to do so, financially, physically or mentally.
2BMe follows the mantra “Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime”. 2BMe works with kids who want to better themselves, yet due to their circumstances find themselves constantly being pulled back from reaching their potential. “We work with children who are A-grade students in E-grade situations; to offer support, resources and guide,” says Beckie.
Recently, 2BMe organised a cooking course with a school and helped 20 children in the high-need category to learn the basics of cooking and expand their knowledge. Some of these children were as young as seven and in charge of cooking for their younger siblings.
2BMe has worked with a half-way house and at Fusion Mornington, where it paid for bedroom upgrades and programs for the teenagers. Recently the foundation assisted a group of girls from Fusion to achieve their dream of attending their school formal, something they thought was financially out of their reach. The girls were given a budget and had to plan how they were going to spend it to create the outfit of their choice. They worked with a stylist and got to experience shopping at Southland – something they had never done before.
Providing training for women in high-risk situations is another of 2BMe’s initiatives. It focuses on putting the women through personal development sessions with motivational speakers who inspire them and give them strategies on how to deal with their current situations.
“We are a money-collecting foundation; it’s a side passion to our full-time jobs,” Beckie says. “We will help anyone or any organisation that’s aligned with our philosophy.”
2BMe’s vision statement says it aims to expand, enrich and empower, and that’s what it does. It expands the hope and choices of those it supports and it uses quality services, resources and programs to enrich others’ lives. 2BMe also seeks to empower its clients through education in personal or professional development.
The Circle of Life Spring Fling lunch, the next event 2BMe is involved with, is at The Publican Mornington on Sunday, October 22, from 11.30am-4.30pm. The guest speaker is Stacey Currie, as seen on 60 Minutes. There will also be a fashion parade, Darren Watson DJ, singer Kim McGuiness, silent auctions, grazing lunch and alcohol and $300 gift boxes for every guest to take home. “It’s an event of ‘reciprocity’ where its attendees will walk away inspired, having given and received to a worthy cause.”
The dress code is ‘a splash of pink’. To book your $149 ticket, phone Miss Velvet on 9783 8358. To find out more about 2BMe, visit 2bmefoundation.org.au or visit Facebook.