Victorian charity State Schools’ Relief has partnered with the My Charity Change app to help raise $300,000 for materially disadvantaged children, with the collaboration to be launched during Australia’s annual Anti-Poverty Week, which runs from 11 to 17 October 2020.
My Charity Change is a mobile app that allows users to round up up to the nearest dollar every time they make a purchase, enabling them to donate their spare change directly to State Schools’ Relief – with all proceeds donated going towards educational resources for underprivileged school students.
According to the VCOSS Every Suburb, Every Town report released in November 2018, 200,000 Victorian children, or one in six, aged under 15 years are living in poverty.
In recognition of Australia’s annual Anti-Poverty Week, the collaboration is aimed at raising awareness that on average, one in five Victorian students in every class of 30, is living below the poverty line and cannot afford the basics to fully participate in their education.
State Schools’ Relief is a Victorian-based not for profit organisation that believes that every student has the right to access an education free from financial discrimination and that education remains the most accessible pathway out of poverty.
In the last year alone, State Schools’ Relief have assisted over 70,500 students with uniforms, shoes and other essential educational items such as laptops, graphing calculators and stationery packs with demand for technological devices and internet dongles skyrocketing during COVID.
Dealing with the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic has been difficult for many charities, however the app provides an accessible and easy to implement solution to complement the more traditional forms of fundraising.
CEO, Sue Karzis, applauds the ‘My Charity Change’ app and thanks those who have already signed up and chosen State Schools’ Relief as their charity of choice, with every cent donated contributing towards the $300,000 goal.
“As we work towards COVID-normal, the ability to connect face to face with schools has changed. The need to embrace remote learning and work has been imperative, and at SSR we have embraced the digital space to help achieve our mission and make a real difference in the lives of Victorian children,” she says.
“My Charity Change makes it possible to be creative with our fundraising, without adding pressure to schools to host traditional events. We encourage schools to set their own targets and host competitions, so they can create change from their change.”
Benjamin Doolan, Founder of ‘My Charity Change’, believes the partnership with State Schools’ Relief can help draw attention to the thousands of children who currently live in poverty in Victoria through an accessible ‘set and forget’ system.
“My Charity Change is proud to support any organisation that supports families facing hardship. State Schools’ Relief ensures all students feel included and valued, that’s something we want to get behind,” he says.
For every $1,000 raised, State Schools’ Relief can support an additional ten students. The aim of the collaboration is to encourage 3,000 people to sign up, which will help the charity continue to support 1 in 9 Victorian students.
Members of the public, or businesses who would like to donate their spare change to State Schools’ Relief, are encouraged to do so via the app mycharitychange.com.au