Some examples of what we do

The following are cases in which we have been able to help people in need. The names have been changed to protect the privacy of those involved.

• Jill is divorced and has custody and full responsibility for her three small children. She receives no support from her ex-husband and relies solely on Government benefits for her income. Her youngest child, Peter, has been diagnosed with a brain tumour and has had many periods in hospital for surgery and treatment. The hospital is a long distance from where she lives and it has been necessary for Jill to find temporary accommodation near the hospital for herself so she can be near Peter. Her other children have been cared for by friends when necessary. The costs of frequent travelling and additional accommodation have caused severe financial stress, with the result that the rent on her unit is in arrears. In this instance the Trust was able to provide funds to cover rental arrears and prevent the eviction of this family from their home.
• Joan is a sole parent with three children. Her eldest, William, is aged 12 years and is autistic. He is also incontinent. As a result, his bedding has to be changed twice daily and he requires up to five changes of clothes each day. Joan is solely dependent upon Government benefits for income because she is unable to work, but she has been able to make ends meet by careful money management. However, since her washing machine broke down three years ago she has not been able to allocate funds for a new one. During all that time she has had to hand-wash bedding and clothes for the whole family. In this case the Trust was able to provide funds for the purchase of a washing machine.
• Karen is a single parent with a 15 year-old son. Her disease (cancer) is advanced and the prognosis is so poor that doctors give her little hope of seeing her son, Jason, finish his schooling at 18. He is intellectually gifted, and she was very concerned that because of her financial position he would not be able to reach his full potential. She has no family in Australia, no real support networks to call upon for help, and must rely upon Centrelink benefits for all her income. In this case the Trust is providing funds progressively over a period of years for education expenses to allow Jason to take advantage of a secondary school academic scholarship.
• Jacqui is aged 40 and has been diagnosed with a terminal illness. She is married with two teenage children at school. Her husband gave up his job a long time ago to care for her, and with no income during that period except for Government benefits, they have exhausted their savings. With only weeks left to live, Jacqui wanted to stay at home with her family, but the cost of the necessary medical equipment (lifting hoist, hospital-type bed, and wheelchair) was beyond their means. In this case the Trust was able to provide funds for the short-term rental of the equipment.
• Paul is an elderly double leg amputee, due to diabetes, and is confined to a manual wheelchair. His general health is not good and while he can use the wheelchair in his home, he does not have the strength to go any distance outside. He had been assessed as being suitable for an electric scooter, which would allow him to gain a large degree of independence, but the cost was completely beyond his means. In this case the Trust was able to provide funds for the purchase of an electric scooter.
• Jack is married with three small children. He fell while repairing the verandah at his home and is now a paraplegic. This has devastated his family, emotionally and financially, but they are working hard at his rehabilitation. Jack needs to visit the hospital regularly, and this is always a difficult process. To make life easier, his family have sought the assistance of friends and their local community to obtain a wheelchair-accessible motor vehicle. Through their efforts they have been able to acquire a suitable van, but could not raise all the necessary funds for a hoist to move the wheelchair in and out of the van. In this case the Trust was able to provide the remainder of the funds required to purchase the hoist.
• Amanda is the victim of prolonged severe domestic violence and rape. In one horrific incident she had her front teeth knocked out. She has now escaped from her previous environment but without any possessions. She is trying to establish herself in a sustainable way while trying to deal with the horrors of her past. Her self-confidence is very low and she is understandably embarrassed when having to face people. The cost of dental treatment to restore her front teeth is well beyond her means, and the waiting time for free non-urgent dental work is up to three years. In this instance the Trust was able to provide funds to cover the cost of restorative dental treatment by a private dentist.
• Doris is a widow and lives in aged accommodation. She has multiple health problems and has limited mobility. Her almost constant pain and discomfort can be relieved with the use of a special reclining chair with power-assisted functions. Another charitable organisation had arranged the short-term lease of such a chair for her but lack of funding prevented renewal of the lease. In this instance the Trust was able to provide funds to purchase a chair for Doris' use, and for the use of others when she no longer needs it.