Donations top of South Aussie charities’ Christmas wish lists

Donating time or money to charity can have a lasting impact on the lives of vulnerable South Australians.

Australian Lions Hearing Dogs development director Alix Katala with dogs Frodo, Milo and Bailey. Picture: Russell Millard

We all want to give that special gift that lights up your loved one’s eyes – but what if your gift had the power to save a life?

Donating to a South Australian charity this Christmas helps support those in need – and those who care for them – at what can be one of the most vulnerable times of the year. Whether on behalf of yourself or another person, a charitable donation can make a real difference.

“It’s a gift that is very impactful and longer-lasting than a box of chocolates,” BankSA Foundation ambassador David Firth says. “If you can’t think of the perfect, meaningful gift to give someone, then why not consider putting those funds towards a donation.”

Started in 1941 by bank employees to support colleagues, family and friends serving in the armed forces during World War II, BankSA Foundation provides funding to help small local charities create a brighter future for people in South Australia and the Northern Territory experiencing disadvantage. Over the past five years, the foundation has allocated more than $1.7 million in grants.

“We focus on small charities making less than $5 million per year, most of which get very little support from the government,” Firth says. “It has been a tough few years. Local charities have faced challenges to fundraise and meet increasing demand to deliver essential services that people rely on.”

In 2021, to celebrate its 80th anniversary, the foundation awarded eight local charities a one-off grant of up to $10,000 each. For charity partner the Lisa Fahey Foundation, that money is helping some of the state’s most vulnerable families keep the lights on this Christmas.

The Lisa Fahey Foundation was established in 2005 in memory of Lisa Fahey, a BankSA employee who passed away in 2003 after a short battle with cancer. Available to patients receiving treatment at four South Australian hospitals, it provides financial assistance to cover the cost of utility and other bills.

“A lot of our clients are couples with young children,” board member Jan Schultz says. “Both have been working to pay their bills and then the wife gets breast cancer and they suddenly have only one income.

“Power companies are happy to put in place payment plans but, if you pay off your bill at $50 per fortnight, you still haven’t paid off the last one when the next one comes in. You’re always chasing your tail.”

This small, local charity has helped more than 400 South Australian families to date, and demand is growing. “Everyone’s bills are getting bigger,” Schultz says. “If we can take the pressure off of families with things like electricity, gas and keeping their car on the road for another 12 months, they can maybe have the funds to buy their children a toy this year so they don’t miss out.”

At Australian Lions Hearing Dogs, a BankSA Foundation grant is helping with a national expansion of the not-for-profit organisation’s dog training centre, based in Verdun in the Adelaide Hills. For 40 years, the charity has been providing hearing assistance dogs to people who are deaf and hard of hearing – free of charge. “We have placed more than 660 hearing dogs,” development director Alix Katala says. “It’s a massive expense, given it costs us just under $40,000 per dog.”

While financial donations are always welcomed, there are also hands-on ways to help. “We need volunteer foster carers to take our puppies into their homes for eight to 12 months from eight weeks of age,” Katala says. “It’s not costing you money – it is a donation of your time, which is just as valuable.”

BankSA Foundation also recently provided funding towards 30 education programs in low socio-economic areas to enable the Sammy D Foundation to educate young people around the impacts of violence and alcohol and drug misuse. The charity is named after Sam Davis, a young man who lost his life to a one-punch attack in 2008.

“Our purpose is to end violence by connecting and empowering young people,” CEO Brigid Koenig says. “Young people are seeing violence more and more. Our peer-led educators in our violence prevention programs teach young people how to diffuse the situation and look after their mates.

“We are saving lives by getting in early and changing attitudes and therefore changing behaviours.”

lisafahey.org.au

lionshearingdogs.com.au

sammydfoundation.org.au

banksafoundation.com.au

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