Geelong Community Foundation News
Students pay it forward
Katrina Reynen from Skyline Education Foundation has spent enough time around students to realise one vital thing. “The students themselves are their own best role models,” she says. “They know that if they can see it, they can be it.” The community organisation provides intensive financial, educational, emotional, and practical support to gifted and academically...
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Providing homes for those in need
The social housing crisis is right here, right now, and it’s urgent. This is the motivation for Roger Hastrich from Sirovilla, an organisation providing affordable housing in the Geelong region, to ensure more is done in our community for low-income older people. Greater Geelong has the second highest rate of homelessness in Victoria, with house...
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At risk youth given a second chance
Eight years ago, Andy Brittain met a young Geelong boy he knew needed help. “He hated life,” Andy says. “He was a victim of family violence, and he was completely disconnected from school and the community. He was very anti police and authority.” A policeman himself at the time, Andy was running programs to support...
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Struggling Families
Even before the pandemic hit, we have a problem with struggling families in our Region. However COVID19 has definitely made things worse. There has been a 20% increase in family violence in Greater Geelong. This was during the 12 month period to September 2020. In addition there has been a 33% increase in breaches of...
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The wonder of compound interest
Albert Einstein is reputed to have said, ‘Compound interest is the eighth wonder of the world.’ It’s an adage Mike Deam lives by when giving. Mike, his wife Glenys and their two adult children make up the Deam Family Fund, a Geelong Community Foundation sub fund. “I started my investment journey in the 1970’s and...
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Giving made easy for business
Wightons Lawyers has a simple ethos: ‘We’re here to help’. It’s a philosophy that extends to the entire Geelong community. “We’re here to help our clients through the good and bad and to plan for the future,” says Managing Director Justine Finlay, “and we feel the same way about our broader community. We really believe...
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Knowledge leads to compassion
Sometimes there’s only one barrier stopping young people making a difference in our community: a lack of knowledge. This was the powerful lesson learned by Surf Coast Secondary College recently through this year’s Schools in Philanthropy program. The program, established by the Geelong Community Foundation in 2011, allows VCAL students to work with community organisations...
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Foundation News
The Geelong Community Foundation has announced the achievement of a major milestone – breaking the $30 million mark after 21 years in Geelong. Foundation Chair Hayden Torney said the achievement meant more grants could be made to local charities in the region with over $1 million in grants to 54 community organisations in the 2020-21...
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More than the money
Here’s a question every philanthropist should ask themselves: How can we ensure the money we give is worth more than its dollar value? Nicholas Adamou, Principal of North Geelong Secondary College, has an answer. It’s worth more when it means a student can turn up to school with the right supplies. It’s worth more when...
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Building on a Great Foundation
The Geelong Community Foundation has announced the achievement of a major milestone – breaking the $30 million mark after 21 years in Geelong. Foundation Chair Hayden Torney said the achievement meant more grants could be made to local charities in the region. “We are also pleased to announce that over $1 million in grants...
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Wombat’s Special Work Recognised
Wombat’s Wish is a specialist service which offers support to bereaved children who are dealing with the grief and challenges which follow from losing a parent. Being the only service of this kind available in Victoria, Wombat’s Wish organises weekend programs down at Burnside Camp in Anglesea, bringing together children and families sharing a similar...
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Geelong collective giving group provides $46,000 grant for food security
Geelong’s passionate collective giving group, Philanthropy 500, has returned in its fourth year to fund another transformative grant for a local community organisation in 2020. A $46,000 grant has been awarded to Feed Me Bellarine. Since March this year they have provided 104,000 meals to the community using food rescued from the region. The grant...
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