Reversing Childhood Poverty Scale-up

www.wecareconnect.org.au

In a year like no other (until 2021!), 2020 saw the demand for We Care Connect’s service reach at an all time high. As a volunteer powered organisation, our team was very much tested yet were unrelenting as we worked to provide practical everyday essentials to local vulnerable children living in poverty – the need has been greater than ever.

Our application aimed to meet the sharp increase in need to support disadvantaged children on the Central Coast. We projected the need for support would increase from 2,484 in FY20 to over 3000 in FY21 – with the final number of children supported through We Care Connect’s programs in FY21 at 3268, a 31% increase from FY20. These children received bundles containing a selection of day clothes including a jumper and jacket, T-shirts, long-sleeve shirts, long pants, shorts, sleepwear, new undies and socks, often shoes, hygiene products and at least a couple of books, games, gifts or craft items. Larger one-off items like high chairs, cots, car seats and prams were also supplied.

Our programs address income poverty and social marginalization, to alleviate the income stress within families by providing these items free of charge. We Care Connect ensures all goods are high quality, matched to individual family/child needs, and well-presented with personal touches to signal that this is a gift from a community that cares about the family’s struggles. These outcomes are demonstrated in the quote below:

Dear We Care Team, I just wanted to pass on a sincere thank you from this client who reflected being extremely grateful for all the items they received. They have had a rough time recently with a big drop in income due to the lockdown and have been unable to afford to purchase clothing for the children. This has provided a huge relief for them and they reflected their excitement and joy when they went through the bags with the children and were especially touched by the care and effort that went into the packages. Brighter Futures Case Worker.

Our programs aim to reduce waste and the negative environmental effects of landfill. In FY21, we recycled more than 104,900 items; with an estimated second hand value of over $912,000. Through the We Care Connect programs, the value and tonnage of items saved from landfill is very considerable. Although we do not yet have weight measures, we anticipate this amounts to many tens of tonnes annually.

The most sincere thank you to the Tucker Foundation for your generous support – thank you!