The St Vincent de Paul Society are encouraging the Canberra community to get involved in the Vinnies Knock On Effect appeal.
The online campaign, running throughout March, aims to highlight the knock-on effect that donations and fundraising can have to Canberrans in need.
The St Vincent de Paul Society Canberra/Goulburn CEO, Barnie van Wyk said with the campaign being online it can reach a broader audience, get more families involved, and spread more fundraising awareness.
โEvery five dollars you donate, every hour that you provide of your time, every piece of clothing you donate and even every smile you give somebody has a knock-on effect,โ Mr van Wyk said.
An Iraqi refugee family living in Canberra has recently experienced how valuable the Knock On Effect is in a time of need.
When Sameerโs family was experiencing financial difficulties, heightened by an unaffordable energy bill, they were then encouraged to contact Vinnies.
โWithin days of making the call, two Vinnies members arrived at our house to help us,โ Sameer said.
โThey gave us food vouchers which was so helpful, because it meant the money we would pay for groceries we could instead use to pay the energy bill.โ
With support from Vinnies, the family were able to manage their bills. To ensure they didnโt end up in the same situation again, they were referred to the ACT Governmentโs Home Energy Efficiency program, which supports low-income households to reduce their energy bills.
The family received further support with the St Joeโs youth program which focuses on building childrenโs self-esteem, social confidence and improving teamwork and leadership skills.
โThe youth program helped my kids so much. It helped build their personalities, to become more independent and to make friends,โ Sameer said.
Sameerโs family is just one of many who Vinnies assists every year through their varied programs and individualised assistance.
To make a Knock On Effect donation, visit https://donate.vinnies.org.au/event/knock-on-effect.
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