Emergency COVID-19 Grants

  2021 2020
HEALTH $ $
Black Dog Institute
‘Anchored’ is a Black Dog Institute mental health app to promote wellbeing and prevent
depression for workers. The app incorporates risk screening and a 30-day mental health
challenge proven successful in reducing the risk of depression by almost half. BDI
proposes to modify this app and adapt its content for people who have lost their jobs due
to COVID-19. The aim is to include content related to welfare, employment support,
non-work examples and coping with uncertainty.
25,000
Cerebral Palsy Alliance
Funding will go towards pressure mapping equipment that provides heat maps of
pressure distribution, highlighting problem areas. This will allow therapists to prescribe
the correct positioning equipment, seating adjustments and modifications to ensure that
pressure injuries are prevented, and our clients’ comfort, safety and wellbeing is
maximised. Additionally, funding will go towards two Rifton Activity Chairs, one for babies
and one for toddlers, which will allow children to sit fully supported to engage in activities
such as therapy, feeding and play.
25,000
Raise Foundation
Funding will support the in school mentoring program at Davidson High School in NSW. Students are provided with one hour of mentoring a week for 23 weeks from trained volunteer mentors. Each school program is supported by a Raise Program Counsellor onsite each week. 25,000
OTHER
TOTAL HEALTH 75,000
2021 2020
EDUCATION AND TECHNOLOGY $ $
Australian Schools Plus
Thirlmere Public School, in the Macarthur Region of NSW, has been hit by two crises in the
past nine months – bushfires in December 2019 and COVID-19 since Term 1, 2020. This
project is part of its COVID-19 response, aiming to lift student engagement and therefore
academic performance, by improving the school’s focus on learning progress rather than
grades. This funding will provide professional development for teachers in classroom
practice and data analysis, classroom resources to support a change in teaching practice,
and new software to deliver growth-focused reporting for students and parents.
25,000
Giant Steps Australia
Giant Steps runs a school and intervention services for children and adults with a
diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). As an essential disability service
Giant Steps has continued to operate throughout the pandemic, however, COVID-19
has had a significant impact on revenue and staff capacity. Funding will be used towards
the cost of casual staff, personal protective equipment and COVID cleaning supplies, all
of which are required to ensure Giant Steps is able to deliver consistent and essential
support for young people with autism and their families.
25,000
Western Sydney University
The University has established a Student Hardship Fund, seeking donations in support of
food vouchers, bill and rent assistance and IT support. This funding, matched by Western,
will ensure students have access to basic living needs and remain in education.
30,000
OTHER
TOTAL EDUCATION AND TECHNOLOGY 80,000
2021 2020
SOCIAL WELFARE AND THE ARTS $ $
Asylum Seekers Centre Inc
During the pandemic, without any financial support or income, people seeking asylum,
especially children are in financial crisis and in need of fresh food, groceries and essential
hygiene products. They need digital connectivity to attend their tele health appointments
and access resources to search for a job, attend school, vocational and university classes
remotely. The program also delivers necessary medication and creative packs for children
to access recreational activities while on school holidays or in isolation.
45,000
Barnardos Australia
The COVID Crisis Care project aims to support over 1,000 high-risk children, young
people and mothers affected by domestic violence. The Family Centres in Auburn,
Penrith and Western NSW, offer help with emergency accommodation, safety planning,
food and relief items, medical and mental health care, household goods, care packs,
onsite playgroups for young children, financial and legal support, COVID safety packs
(masks, etc) and group life skills sessions for families to learn and share life experiences.
Funding will go towards emergency supplies, housing, educational support and transport.
50,000
Inala
Funding will contribute to the significant costs of providing the personal protective
equipment and enhanced cleaning protocols (including disinfectant of touch points)
required during the COVID-19 pandemic. These are important initiatives which are
required as per guidelines from NSW Health and are helping to ensure all members
of the Inala community remain healthy and well.
25,000
Karinya House Home for Mothers & Babies Inc
Funding will go towards the ‘Engagement of Client Support Workers’ on weekdays to provide
additional direct client support. Karinya House has implemented a split Casework Team
and reduced volunteer engagement to minimize infection risk, ensure continuity of service
and remain fully operational. One of the drawbacks of this is a more limited capacity for
caseworkers to provide intensive life-skill support to residents, as resident needs have had
to be prioritized. This project will support the engagement of case aid support each weekday
for six months.
25,000
OzHarvest Limited
OzHarvest rescues quality, surplus food from commercial outlets and delivers this at no cost
to charities feeding people in need. COVID-19 has seen the need for food be doubled in charities
across Sydney, and people who had previously never needed food relief are coming for
help. This funding will go towards putting an OzHarvest yellow van on the road in Sydney
over six months. This van will deliver fresh produce, nourishing cooked meals and nutritional
food hampers to vulnerable communities across Sydney.
20,000
Royal Far West
The family accommodation facility will be a designated “Pop Up” shelter for women
with children experiencing domestic violence (July – December 2020), with baseline
accommodation costs being met by NSW government. This funding is to provide additional
wrap-around care for those staying during this time. By providing scheduled child-care
and age-appropriate recreational activities for children, alongside a coordinated therapeutic
recreation program (yoga, drumming, cooking classes, etc) for mothers, this will support
self-care, stress relief, connection & resilience.
50,000
StreetWork Australia
KickStart is StreetWork’s flagship program and provides one-on-one mentoring to at-risk
young people. Each participant has an individually developed case management plan,
documenting their short and long-term goals as well as a final ‘graduation’ strategy. Youth
Case Workers act as mentors and provides positive role modelling of consistent behaviours
and establishing boundaries, with the aim of empowering each young person to turn their life
around. This grant will enable StreetWork to expand KickStart and deliver an additional
555 mentoring sessions to at-risk young people in the community.
25,000
The Marmalade Foundation Limited
This funding aims to reduce the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic for over 500 vulnerable
women by providing emergency relief. We hope to avert a crisis, relieve distress and
meet immediate essential needs. Also, it will provide technical in-house support for setting up
on-line group platforms as well as a general emergency fund.
25,000
Women’s Community Shelters Limited
Following the COVID-19 pandemic, WCS urgently needed funds to expand and pivot
service delivery towards outreach and employ additional Case Workers (Outreach) to
support increasing demand on the shelter staff and network. Emergency funding will
support improved physical and mental health as well as quality of life for all Australians.
50,000
Youth Off The Streets
The funding will support the alcohol and other drugs services like Dunlea in Merrylands,
which has experienced a cut in funding. This will help towards ensuring the delivery of
these important services.
30,000
OTHER
TOTAL SOCIAL WELFARE AND THE ARTS 345,000
GRAND TOTAL 500,000