I created my flute school for more than just the flute players who come here to learn! I know I can help others who need it, so every month I give a portion of my profit to a cause that I believe in.
Here are the donations (in Australian Dollars) made to these wonderful organisations...
Well, I just love wombats, and many of them lost their homes in the bush fires a year ago. I hope this little donation helps the Sleepy Burrows Wombat Sanctuary (about 3 hours south of Sydney) keep doing their amazing work!
If you're walking around the streets of Sydney, you'll undoubtedly bump into a homeless (or struggling) person selling the magazine of a social enterprise called The Big Issue, which helps them make some income for themselves.
I wandered around last week and bought the $9 magazine for $50, from 6 sellers, to hopefully brighten up their Christmas. (PS. That's not me in the photo!)
Every year, I play in a fundraising orchestral concert to raise money for the Music Therapy department. This year, because of COVID, the concert has gone online, and without the paying audience! So here's something to help.
My lovely friend Fiona just married the (equally lovely) Sven! The gift they want: a donation to cancer research.
The mission of ACRF is to "outsmart cancer by providing world-class scientists with the equipment they need to improve prevention, diagnosis and treatment of all types of cancer."
I made a new friend on the weekend and was so inspired by her commitment to her charity work!
The DREAM Project provides a source of inspiration and motivation for students and families from refugee backgrounds to integrate with the Australian community. They do this by helping them with their studies, preparing them for work and just being their friend.
My friend Jane (great name!) is getting fit as part of the Muscles for Muscles campaign. She's raising money to help find a cure for FSHD muscular dystrophy. Go the Janes!
Melbourne based music therapy for people living with dementia. Wow, what amazing research and work Homeside does!
The ASRC is Australia’s largest human rights organisation providing support to people seeking asylum.
They support and empower people seeking asylum to maximise their own physical, mental and social well being.
This bright little bike-riding boy is raising money throughout June for Australia's Westpac Rescue Helicopter - a wonderful, life-saving service!
This excellent organisation provides emergency meals, showers, clothing packs, blankets, housing, medical care and more to people in crisis in Sydney.
This month, I want to support a local business to help them keep their doors open through the Coronavirus pandemic. International Wing Chun Academy is a fantastic martial arts school in Sydney.
After the devastating bushfires in Australia, the koala population has really suffered.
Port Macquarie Koala Hospital does a wonderful job at rescuing and rehabilitating injured and sick koalas.
I recently learnt of the incredible work that The Hunger Project are doing.
The Hunger Project’s goal is to end world hunger by 2030.They see people living in hunger as the solution, not the problem. THP works to shift the mindsets of women and men so they transform into leaders for the sustainable end of hunger.
The devastating fires in Australia have killed and injured so many beautiful animals. WIRES are a rescue service for native wildlife and are doing an amazing job in such difficult and heartbreaking circumstances.
What a wonderful organisation! Vision Australia's Seeing Eye Dogs provides world-class bred and trained dogs which help to provide independence for people who are blind or have low vision.
Zohra’s musicians are the first women in their families, communities and country to study music in over 30 years.
The wonderful Afghanistan National Institute of Music is doing amazing things for the young people of their country.
OzHarvest is Australia’ leading food rescue organisation, collecting quality excess food from commercial outlets and delivering it directly to more than 1300 charities supporting people in need across the country.
My friend Steve and his wife Julie are fundraising by playing a LOT of ping pong!
Ping Pong-A-Thon is a fundraising & advocacy movement, combating human trafficking and exploitation of young people in South East Asia through a series of table tennis events held every year.
My friend Michael recently ran the 14km City2Surf in Sydney. He chose the charity Foodbank to raise money for, so I supported him!
Foodbank is Australia’s largest food relief organisation, operating on a scale that makes it crucial to the work of the front line charities who are feeding vulnerable Australians.
Animals for All Care believe that the physical and mental wellbeing of our aging population is intimately connected with the health and happiness of all animals.
I love this organisation! Looking after our older folk is so very very important.
This donation will help Orange Sky to provide clean laundry, warm showers and genuine conversation for people on the streets in Australia.
I discovered my good friend does a lot of work with Entrust. And I want to support her and her charity!
Entrust is about identifying and funding projects that bring transformation to individuals and communities in the developing world amongst the poor and oppressed.
Dignity helps people who are homeless by providing emergency crisis accommodation and food for struggling families and individuals.
Dignity's guests often arrive with nothing, so they also provide carefully selected quality clothing packs.
Animals for All Care, in Sydney, takes rescue dogs around to nursing homes and helps older folk feel connected to animals. Which brings happiness to people who so often are missing their beloved pets! Amazing.
Orange Sky operates 27 vehicles in 22 cities around Australia, providing 87,995 loads of washing and 7,138 warm showers every week to homeless people. And most importantly, they give 144,772 hours every week of genuine and non-judgemental conversation.
You guys are great Orange Sky!
Symphony for Life invests in the children of Australia who need it most! They create excellent orchestras and choirs for children and young people living in challenging or emerging communities.
"Because no one should go hungry at Christmas."
Last December, a constant stream of homeless men, women and children walked through the doors of Wayside Chapel in Sydney, in desperate need of food and support.
Christmas Day is a special time when the homeless can enjoy a free meal (with all the trimmings).
My friend Steve is raising money by playing in a Ping Pong tournament this month!
Ping-Pong-A-Thon is a fundraising & advocacy movement, combating human trafficking and exploitation of young people in South East Asia.
Jett is a Sydney 10 year old who is a science and technology enthusiast. He suffered from a brain tumour and lost his vision suddenly and permanently when he was 8.
He is raising money to go to the Vision Impaired Space Camp in the US. Good luck Jett!
My colleague Debbie is walking 35km along the beautiful coast of Sydney to raise money for Australian Mitochondrial Disease Foundation. Go Debbie!
And nicely named - The Bloody Long Walk!
Twice a year Share the Dignity collect sanitary items that are then donated to their registered charities. Their charity partners then supply homeless, at-risk and women experiencing domestic violence with dignity at a time they need it most.
It's something I'd never really thought about until I saw a poster in a toilet cubicle recently about this charity. Glad I know about these guys now.
These guys are so amazing, enthusiastic and compassionate. The "Pong" combats human trafficking and exploitation of young people in South East Asia. Communities across Australia and the USA, host table tennis events each October and so far have raised $1.25 million!
Delta therapy dogs visit aged care homes, mental health units, hospitals, disability services, prisons and dementia specific facilities, all around Australia, bringing much needed joy and happiness.
Dogs are so wonderful to be around. Especially when you're feeling like you need company!
Mercy Huts Surf Retreat is on Rote Island, Indonesia. My good friends Sally and Paul are 2 of the founders of Mercy Huts. They are establishing a beachfront retreat for holiday-makers that wholly gives back to local people living in poverty. Great stuff guys.
"Restoring dignity, one hot shower at a time". What a great slogan (and purpose!).
This bus in Sydney provides much appreciated showers to homeless people. And their bus has broken down! Keep up the good work guys.
The freakin' amazing MUSIC & MEMORY organisation brings personalised music into the lives of the elderly through the use of iPod music players, vastly improving their quality of life.
This podcast deserves my money, since they have been so helpful at keeping me in a good headspace in life. Thanks Bliss and Grit!
Project Rudolph boxes (which include meat for roasting, fresh vegetables and a Christmas cake) are delivered to families who might otherwise miss out at Christmas, across Australia.
A local Sydney resident is running a Go Fund Me campaign to raise $8000 to buy an assistance dog. I hope this little contribution helps.
AIME helps indigenous Australian school children finish high school and mentors the most disadvantaged kids out of inequality.
These guys have raised over $70,000 to help stop the buying and selling of humans (aka trafficking) in South East Asia.
The way they do this is to hold Ping Pong marathons! You guys rock. Keep going :)
"Human dignity is the idea that every human has inherent worth."
This charity is so inspiring. They help traumatised, hungry, cold and often ashamed homeless individuals into temporary accommodation.
These guys help young people before they become homeless by helping their carers build studio accommodation in their backyards and giving them an independent space to live.
The stats are that family conflict is reduced from 57% to just 4% after a studio has been provided. Genius!
My friend was one of 1747 heads of companies who slept outside in the middle of Sydney winter (which is cold enough!). Together they raised $5.5 million to help homelessness.
The amazing Ozharvest have opened a shop in Sydney that "sells" rescued good quality food. You walk in, take just what you need, and give whatever $$$ you can.
My friend Lloyd is sleeping out in the open in mid-Winter to simulate, for just 1 night what it's like to be homeless in Sydney.
It's the least I can do to help. One day I'll be able to do more...
I love OzHarvest. They are a food rescue organisation in Australia, collecting quality excess food from cafes and shops, and delivering it to charities.
Since 2004, they have saved more than 20,000 tonnes of food from ending up in landfill.
Yikes!
My trampoline instructor is a legend.
In an effort to break down the stigma around living with HIV, Olympic silver medallist Ji Wallace is leading an expedition along the historic Kokoda trail in June 2017.
He says it's "to show the world that no matter your struggle, no matter your ailment, no matter where you come from or what ever you have been handed in life: it does not define you. Stand tall on your character, your generosity, your compassion and your word and never underestimate the power of yourself."
I heard a heartbreaking, but uplifting (somehow both!) episode of This American Life podcast.
Some young guys in a Syrian refugee camp in Greece were being just generally awesome and creative. And I wanted to support that!
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