If you’re an avid fan of Awesome Newcastle, which we know you all are, then you would know that we love to check-in with past grant winners.

In April, Kim Oakhill rose to the occasion to passionately talk about Helpful Love, an online community that seeks to provide useful gifts for people in difficult times.

The idea came about after her dear friends lost their three-year-old child to the common cold. Instead of sending flowers she wanted to do something that would help them out, and in the process realised there were no services out there that did this…thus Helpful Love was born.

Since April, Oakhill has been busy engaging with new vendors, updating her website and spreading the word about this incredibly useful idea.

Now servicing Newcastle, Port Stephens and Central Coast, Helpful Love is also in discussions with vendors in Maitland, Sydney and Port Macquarie. Oakhill told Awesome Newcastle of the varied range of businesses on board.

“We have an amazingly diverse range of vendors on board including domestic cleaning, home cooked meals, fruit and vegetable delivery, family photography, remedial massage, spiritual healing, personalised children’s books, mobile mechanics, musicians, love letters, personal stylists and more!” says Oakhill.

The $1,000 grant that Oakhill received from Awesome Newcastle was used for developing the new website and online store as well as helping with promotional materials. There are many others on Oakhill’s team to make Helpful Love happen.

“One of my proudest developments is a new community of brand reps, affectionately dubbed “Helpful LoveRs”. They are a team of local stay-at-home parents who are working behind the scenes to promote the Helpful Love movement, canvassing new vendors and spreading the love into new areas.” Oakhill proudly tells us.

Oakhill’s mission is to build awareness of Helpful Love across NSW by the end of 2016, and by next year, to have a presence across the whole of Australia. We believe she’s on the right track to get there.

The Port Stephen Examiner wrote about Oakhill’s grant win back in April and have followed her jouney along the way as she continues to spread the love.

For her mission to come to fruition, Oakhill believes that “team work makes the dream work, and it is truly AWESOME to see the vision coming alive”.

We looking forward to more updates from Helpful Love as it grows in leaps and bounds.