2011 / 2012 GRANTS

Mackay District Special School

In association with John Donnelly The Good Guys, The Mackay Foundation provided a grant of $350.00 to the Mackay District Special School to purchase a washing machine. This special grant was given in November 2011 as the existing washing machine had broken. The school uses the washing machine to deliver a meaningful program to their students across a variety of learning curriculums. The school makes a conscious decision to have students participate with assistance in the everyday chores such as washing clothes and going on errands. This helps the students feel as though they are making a valuable contribution to their class and school.

Anglicare

Anglicare provides without discrimination, a range of affordable and accessible counselling support services including education and housing support to families and individuals. Anglicare is in the process of taking over Carinya, a rural accommodation centre for the homeless and needy persons near Mackay. A grant for $4,000.00 will go towards the refurbishment costs of the eight cottages.

Community Accommodation and Support Agency Inc (CASA)

CASA aims to stabilise families and individuals with housing needs in the Mackay area by offering options and opportunities for housing, and support to maximise their strengths to achieve independence, stability and self-reliance. With a grant of $1,100.00 CASA will re-print Homeless Cards that list the public amenities homeless people may require, and services they may need.

George Street Neighbourhood Centre

The Intake and Referral (Emergency Relief) program has been in operation at the George Street Neighbourhood Centre Association Incorporated since November 2011. The purpose of this program is to provide assistance to vulnerable individuals and families in Mackay by working through the crisis the client is currently facing and identifying the appropriate services required. It is important to ensure suitable food availability for individuals and families who are engaging in the referral process to stabilise their situation. A grant of $5,000.00 will fund the availability of food for Mackay and districts’ Vulnerable Groups Project by providing quality and nutritious food hampers to vulnerable groups looking to improve their current situation.

Mackay Advocacy Inc

The objective of Mackay Advocacy Inc. is to provide opportunities for more people with a disability to understand and be aware of their basic rights, improve their quality of life and level of independence. A grant of $3,000.00 will enable Mackay Advocacy Inc to purchase two iPads to use as communication aids and education tools for clients.

Phoenix Place

Phoenix Place aims to provide an environment where people living with psychiatric disabilities can better manage their illness and its effects, and bring their unique contribution into their community by breaking down the barriers that create fear and anxiety. A $3,000.00 grant was given to extend the ‘Compass’ program Phoenix Place currently runs. With the funds they will set up a Galley that provides program participants with education on life skills, food preparation, customer service and budgeting skills.

Prescare

Prescare operates residential facilities and community service programs for aged people with disabilities and the carers of these groups in the Mackay region. A grant for $3,960.00 will purchase twelve Emergency Personal Response Alarms to be used by those in the community who live alone and are ‘at risk’.

Resident Drug and Alcohol Treatment Service (RDATS) Mackay (OzCare)

RDATS Mackay provides a structured 24 hour a day, supported residential program for those seeking rehabilitation and recovery from alcohol and/or drug addiction. A grant of $2,191.00 will enable the service to purchase two additional beds for their centre, one to replace an existing damaged bed and the other to provide an emergency bed to be used when a client is waiting to enter the program.

Salvation Army (Samaritan House)

The objective of Samaritan House is to provide support and crisis accommodation for women and children escaping domestic violence. A grant for $4,736.80 purchased heavy duty play equipment for the children who access the service and upgraded the client laundry with an industrial washing machine, coin operated dryer, laundry tubs and ironing centre.

Back to School 2012

This is the fifth consecutive year that The Mackay Foundation has participated in the Back to School Program, which is an initiative of the Sidney Myer Fund and the Foundation for Regional and Rural Renewal (FRRR) and proudly supported by The Wyatt Benevolent Institution, The Pratt Foundation,

The Estate of the Late Edward Wilson, Aussie Farmers Foundation, QR National Community Giving Fund, The Julian Flett Foundation managed by Perpetual, Target and The Department of Regional Australia, Regional Development and Local Government.

In addition to funding provided by the Sidney Myer Fund and FRRR program, we received $10,000 from The Stan and Maureen Duke Foundation specifically for the Mackay program. With this generous donation The Mackay Foundation distributed $25,000 worth of vouchers from Carroll’s News to families in need from 20 state primary schools across the region, including schools from as far west as Moranbah and Clermont, and north to Cannonvale. The vouchers helped families with the expense of preparing their children to return to school and came as a welcome relief to those families in need.