Community

Cottage by the Sea (CBTS) is committed to providing short-term relief care in a holiday environment for children in need, most of whom have never seen the sea. CBTS aims to support and help children whose families are in need allowing the family a chance to cope with their difficulties, secure in the knowledge that their children are being well cared for and enjoying themselves.

A leading provider of quality wilderness programmes in the Flinders Ranges, South Australia for young people who are identified as being at risk from truancy, crime and substance abuse. These programmes provide demanding outdoor challenges and ongoing support to help them develop their personal attitudes and values of self-confidence, motivation, leadership and team work.

For 13 years Mirabel has assisted children who have been orphaned or abandoned due to parental illicit drug use and who are now in the care of extended family (kinship care). Mirabel believes that every child deserves a childhood and has a mission to break the destructive cycle of addiction.

FareShare cooks 500,000 meals a year for Victorians unable to afford enough food and has been providing free healthy, nutritious meals for the homeless and hungry since 2000 by rescuing surplus produce from supermarkets, manufacturers, wholesale markets, farmers and other businesses. Food is collected by paid and volunteer drivers and either delivered direct to charities or brought to their kitchen in Abbotsford. Two professional chefs oversee 40 volunteers who cook on average 2,000 meals daily.

Very Special Kids is a unique Victorian organisation that supports families throughout their experience of caring for children with life-threatening illnesses, including cancer, muscular dystrophy and a range of neuro-degenerative, genetic and rare conditions. Very Special Kids House, Australia's first and Victoria's only Children's Hospice provides respite, transitional and end of life care and forms part of the holistic range of services provided by Very Special Kids. Focusing on the quality of life for the whole family, Very Special Kids provides practical and emotional support for the child, the parents and the siblings, through a team of highly professional staff and a network of fully trained volunteers.