Some of you reading this newsletter will already be experiencing significant impacts from this pandemic. We are thinking about you all and hoping for a quick return to normality.
 
Sands is in a good position to carry on through this challenging period, however, there is much that is still not known. We will be required to continue to seek support, and in particular, to continue fundraising during this time. We understand that this may seem unpalatable for many of you, particularly considering the financial pressure so many people are under, but this will be the only way we can continue to meet demand for support following pregnancy and infant loss.
 
We have moved all of our staff to work from home arrangements. Unfortunately we have also had to cancel our face-to-face support groups right now. We are very excited about our plans to use a tele-health platform to run groups and these will launch shortly.
 
We are strengthening our efforts to engage with our community online because it is  becoming very clear that the additional pressures associated with COVID-19 are exacerbating the heightened emotions commonly experienced during grief.    
 
It is inevitable that some of our volunteers and staff will get sick. As part of our contingency planning we are interested in hearing from anyone who has provided peer support in the past and would be willing to provide back up to our current volunteers if required. You would need to be willing to complete a small amount of training to re-familiarise yourself with our models of care. You can contact Janelle Marshall if you think you can help. 
 
The unprecedented pressure on internet connections is also creating some issues with our phone line at our Surrey Hills head office in Victoria. Please email us for general enquiries or refer to our website for support options available to you.

In the meantime we encourage you to support our fundraising endeavours or to make a tax deductible donation if you are in a position to do so. Thank you from everyone at Sands!