A $500,000 gift will be handed out to five Sutherland Shire organisations that support people in need.
Big Sister Foundation, based at Gymea, announced funding grants of half a million dollars to be made available in the next two years.
Grants range from $10,000 through to $95,000 annually.
Community organisations that help first-time parents, the young and disadvantaged, the homeless and broken families will be among those that will benefit.
3Bridges’ Early Years Support Services will put the funds towards the expansion home visiting services for new mothers. The foundation has provided $25,000 per annum to deliver the service, plus rent-free accommodation for its Gymea service.
Project Youth, which has also been funded by Ian Potter Foundation, will have the opportunity to strengthen its new initiative Labour Y, which helps at-risk youth receive regular paid employment.
A donation has been made to One Meal Sutherland Shire, so it can replace its food van to continue to thrive its Sunday meal service at Sutherland for homeless people. It will also offer more services during the week.
Southern Community Welfare will grow its domestic violence and family case work services.
The Australian Kookaburra Kids Foundation will inject $80,000 into its research that measures the effectiveness of its prevention and early-intervention mental health program within peer camps and recreational activities.
Dandelion Support Network will employ more staff to take on operational roles. Its partnership and sustainability officer, Sarah Mross, says its $75,000 gift will go a long way in continuing the work the charity’s volunteers do in donating clothes, toys and linen to children.
“This will really help us work towards financial sustainability and allows us to help more vulnerable families in the community,” she said.
Chairwoman of Big Sister Foundation, Kim Brown, says she is delighted to assist community partners in delivering their much-needed services.
“Our 2019/2020 grants are given to help build the long term sustainability of these valuable services and to underpin the establishment of new social enterprises in the shire,” she said.
“Outside of government funding, Big Sister Foundation is one of the largest donors of community funding in the shire.”
Since 2005, it has given $3.5 million to shire community organisations, including $1.2 million for the construction of Sylvanvale’s Mikarie Integrated Childcare Centre at Kirrawee in 2010.
Now in its 90th year of operation, the Big Sister Movement originally provided hostel accommodation for women across Sydney, including two hostels located in Cronulla. It later ran as an aged care facility and the foundation was formed in 2010.
