Janine Encourages Perth Families to Give Back

If you thought you were well-travelled, think again. Janine‘s incredible life journey has brought her to over 38 countries, and with this has come a love for exploring new cultures and communities.

Upon returning to Perth in September last year with her husband and children, Janine was keen to engage again with the community she once called home. However, she struggled to find inspiring opportunities to give back regularly as a family of four with primary school-aged children.

“COVID-19 and insurance were the two biggest hurdles to leveraging our passion, commitment, and time. It was deeply frustrating that it was so hard to help. So, after many phone calls across the volunteering landscape in WA, I decided to launch our group that sourced the same opportunities we were seeking.”, says Janine.

That group is called Perth Families Giving Back. This charity match fun, family-friendly activities that help members of the Perth community with families who want to give back and make a difference. Its mission is to connect, inspire and advocate for the gift of giving, and develop future leaders who champion a culture of giving.

This concept created by Janine has quickly gained popularity amongst the Perth community. She realises that families want to help but often don’t know how to get involved, and she’s enjoying making it an easier process for them. 

“Our children’s school community has rallied around our events, neighbourhood families have dropped in donations, and families have reached out from all over Perth to sign up. The charities that we support include No Limits, Hannah’s House, and Homeless Healthcare, have even adapted to our age range capabilities.”, says Janine.

There will always be opportunities for everyone to participate, regardless of age, from writing and decorating cards, wrapping presents, sorting clothes, delivering gifts, and more. Perth Families Giving Back caters to the modern family, connecting those that are like-minded and passionate about giving back.

“So many people fight the good fight every day to bring hope, love, and support to the most vulnerable in our community, it is humbling and inspiring. What has surprised me is the level of engagement from the kids involved in our events and the beautiful conversations it sparks between them. The giving mindset is flourishing!”, remarked Janine.

In addition to running Perth Families Giving Back, Janine has her own business, janinemanning.com. Here she delivers executive coaching focusing on high performance, career strategy, and personal branding for professionals and has been doing so for over 15 years.

As a mum of two and a wife, who runs a successful business and charity, we wonder how she does it all! So, we asked Janine to tell us her secret.

“I live by my online calendar that is colour coded, and my big rocks are always my priority – husband, kids, health, fitness, wider family and friends. I block time for clients to book their coaching sessions and weekly focus zones for Perth Families Giving Back. It’s a no-work weekend in our house, so we fill our days with hikes with our kids and boisterous Groodle, dinner with friends, sports, and family charity work that we combine with shared lunches to expand our network of awesome people.”, says Janine.

Janine’s time as a border at Santa Maria really stuck with her – so much so that she returned to the College to work as Director of Community Relations. She re-launched the Old Girls’ Association back in 2006 and created the de la Vita publication (now Catherine)! She even married the love of her life in our beautiful College Chapel. We asked Janine what it is about Santa Maria that draws her back.

“I love everything that Santa stands for. The Mercy values. The commitment to developing strong, confident, giving women who believe in making a difference.”, reflected Janine.

“I wouldn’t be the woman, mother, professional, and engaged community leader I am today without my time at Santa Maria. I was always taught to strive in my own way and to take others on the journey.”, adds Janine.

Moving forward, Janine hopes to continue embracing her strengths and making a difference in the WA community through her coaching and Perth Families Giving Back.

“I want to inspire my children to show up authentically in a way that brings greater kindness into the world and find their voice for the things that matter most to them. I would love to build a collaborative community that nurtures people’s greatness and incubates their big ideas to impact the world positively.”

We can’t wait to see what Janine does next!

  • alumni, Community, Compassion, Featured, Initiative, Respect, SocialInnovation

Author: Santa Maria College
Santa Maria College is a vibrant girls school with a growing local presence and reputation.  Our Mission is to educate young Mercy women who act with courage and compassion to enrich our world.  Santa Maria College is located in Attadale in Western Australia, 16 km from the Perth CBD.  We offer a Catholic education for girls in Years 5 – 12 and have 1300 students, including 152 boarders.

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