The Coates Foundation is again teaming up with Mission Australia, one of its national charity partners, to raise awareness around housing insecurity and provide much-needed relief for the rising number of individuals and families currently experiencing hardship and homelessness.
This will be the third year that Coates and its employees have supported Mission Australia by donating food staples and festive treats, and delivering the hampers to Mission Australia sites across the country to be distributed to those in need.
Coates employees this year delivered more than 50 hampers across Sydney at a time when they’ve never been more needed.
The festive season is a time for celebrating with family, friends and communities, but sadly that’s not the reality for everyone in Australia. Housing insecurity continues to affect many people and communities across the country:
- Every hour in Australia, 3,000 people seek help from homelessness services
- 1 in 7 people experiencing homelessness are children under the age of 12
- The majority of homelessness in Australia is hidden, with people living in crisis accommodation, severely overcrowded dwellings, boarding houses or moving between family and friends.
Mission Australia CEO, Sharon Callister, believes the situation is critical. “Without a doubt, Australia’s homelessness crisis has now escalated to an emergency,” she says.
“This year in particular, we’ve seen really quite bleak circumstances which have pushed more people into homelessness and financial distress,” says Sharon. “There’s not nearly enough social and affordable housing; we’ve had really tough economic times causing living and rental costs to rise; and people are going through challenges like domestic and family violence, mental health concerns and natural disasters.”
“The holiday season can bring added stress for those who already struggle to meet their basic needs,” says Elise Manns, Executive General Manager for People & Safety at Coates. “Christmas is a time for family to come together, and our partnership with Mission Australia provides an opportunity for Coates employees to care deeply for our local communities and give back to those who need assistance.”
Coates is asking people to help where they can, and people wishing to donate to Mission Australia can do so here: https://act.missionaustralia.com.au/coates-festive-appeal
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