Across Australia, almost 800,000 kids & teenagers are living below the poverty line. Parents and carers are struggling to purchase essential school items such as stationery, lunch boxes and uniforms. Through its Back to School 2020 Appeal, national online charity GIVIT- Goods for Good Causes aims to provide essential items to ensure vulnerable children have the opportunities to thrive.
Through the online giving portal at www.givit.org.au, registered charities, schools and community groups request items for their households and families in need. These requests are then matched to GIVIT’s network of generous donors. The general items that are needed are stationary items, every day items such as backpacks and lunchboxes, uniforms and basic clothing and technology devices. Donations of cash or vouchers to stores such as OfficeWorks are encouraged, as they allow families in-need to purchase exactly what they need.
“Poverty affects every aspect of a child’s life, particularly their education. Kids who go to school hungry, with their shoes falling apart and without a jumper in winter feel they don’t fit in. GIVIT wants all kids to have the self-confidence to take on whatever lies ahead for them in the classroom in 2020,’’ Mrs Monaghan said.
Students living in poverty – which nationally currently sits at over 10% of the population – without books, pencils or the often financially-crippling tech devices such as laptops and iPads, are often isolated from their classmates. At the start of every school year, GIVIT also notices a sharp rise in requests from families struggling with cost of living expenses.
To donate items to GIVIT’s Back To School Appeal 2020 please visit www.GIVIT.org.au/items-needed. There are also a number of Back To School Packs on the GIVIT website ranging from $50 to $250, for donors who would prefer to pledge a cash donation. To donate cash to allow GIVIT to purchase any of these packs, visit www.givit.org.au and click on the ‘Donate Funds’ tab, then select Back To School Appeal 2020 in the drop-down menu. GIVIT Engagement Officer, Sharnie Monaghan, said GIVIT’s Back to School 2020 Appeal helps children, regardless of their family’s financial situation, to return to class feeling confident.
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