about us
Treasure Boxes is a South Australian children's not-for-profit. We provide vital essentials to babies, children and teens living in disadvantage in our community.
WHO WE ARE
When poverty, homelessness and domestic violence create an uncertain, sometimes dangerous home environment, many South Australian families struggle to provide their kids with the essentials of life; bedding, clothes, toys, even regular meals.
From this troubling reality, Treasure Boxes came to be – a team of caring, like-minded people, dedicated to preventing hardship and trauma by providing kids in need with critical items many of us take for granted. From our bustling warehouse headquarters, Treasure Boxes arranges the donation, collection and delivery of those childhood essentials, including cots, prams, highchairs and clothes. Driven by this profound purpose, our friendly, professional organisation seeks to empower others, creating positive change within the community – at the same time ensuring valuable, high quality resources don’t go to waste.
Agile and innovative, we’re unburdened by formalities and conventions. And like our team of volunteers and the children we advocate passionately for, our kind donors feel valued and included as together, we ‘give back’ in practical, life-changing ways, helping those with, help those without.
WHAT WE DO
Every baby, child and parent deserves to have access to good quality nursery equipment and essential items, to allow them to thrive and help keep them safe during times of severe disadvantage.
Treasure Boxes opened in May 2015 and is a South Australian based not-for-profit children’s charity. We provide vital essentials to newborns, babies and children living in disadvantage within our community.
Through gifting essential children’s goods to families at risk of poverty, homelessness and domestic violence, we alleviate severe hardship, financial burden, reduce the risk of poverty and homelessness, ease trauma and provide hope to those most vulnerable.
We are an environmentally conscious organisation that actively promotes sustainability ensuring valuable, high-quality resources don’t go to waste.
in 2021 we have
updated March 2022
OUR MISSION
Treasure Boxes aims to ease the anxiety, stress and trauma placed on young children and their families affected by hardship.
OUR VALUES
Sustainability
Inclusivity
Collaboration
Innovation
OUR BOARD
Justin Sharman
Acting Chairperson
Justin is a Principal at DMAW Lawyers, where he practises in commercial disputes and risk management. He acts primarily on complex commercial litigation, contractual and property disputes, insolvency, bankruptcy and shareholder disputes.
Justin also advises boards on governance and organisational risk management.
Justin’s interest in Treasure Boxes is to grow the reach of the organisation to help more vulnerable women, children and families in South Australia.
Justin Sharman
Acting Chairperson
Rikki Cooke
CEO & Founder
Rikki is the Founder and CEO of Treasure Boxes Incorporated. Borne from her qualifications and experiences with children from all areas of disadvantage, she recognised the need for vital, basic essentials to be provided to parents and caregivers that are at high risk of poverty and homelessness, and women fleeing from Domestic Violence situations.
Coupled with a strong environmental focus to rehome preloved baby and children essentials, Treasure Boxes is now one of the fasted growing children’s charities in South Australia.
Rikki Cooke is a registered social worker who holds a Bachelor of Behavioural Science degree and a Masters in Social Work, works as an Emergency Carer with DCP children in residential care facilities across Adelaide and is a registered foster carer.
Rikki Cooke
CEO & Founder
Richard Turner
Board Member
Richard is a renowned Australian Entrepreneur, Leader and Innovator. He has founded four successful companies/organisations across four different industry sectors, was South Australian Entrepreneur of the Year for two of those companies 14 years apart (1996 & 2010) and Australian Entrepreneur of the Year for the Cleantech sector in 2010.
His most recent venture, ZEN Energy, was recognised as the fastest growing company in South Australia for 2010 & 2011 and the 4th fastest growing company in Australia in 2012 (BRW magazine).
Richard is a specialist in re-invention and industry disruption, he is passionate about sustainability and wants to assist companies that are driving change for the better, believe in their purpose and add value to future generations.
Richard’s interest in Treasure Boxes is in enabling our support agencies to have more time available to help families in distress by ensuring a long-term supply of essential items are immediately available to them through Treasure Boxes, rather than be individually sourced via the support agencies costing valuable time and money. Treasure Boxes creates an efficient and timely supply chain of essential items by gender and age that wasn’t previously available to the sector.
Richard Turner
Board Member
Tracy Schulze
Board Member
Tracy is a passionate HR/Recruitment generalist working across several industries over the past 20 years including the food industry, retail, investment management, a global consulting company and currently works in the Defence industry.
Tracy has specialised in general HR, recruitment, training, WHS & HRIS systems.
Tracy is driven to contribute and give back to society wherever possible, to help others and provide knowledge and experience to enable Treasure Boxes to grow and deliver their services to the broader community. In this way, she can provide assistance and support many more South Australian children and families in need.
Tracy Schulze
Board Member
FOUNDATION PARTNER
PROGRAM PARTNERS
SUPPORTERS
