Supporting charities to give at-risk youth a helping hand

Picture: courtesy of The Murray Valley Standard

Recognising the increased needs of at-risk youth, BankSA Foundation has added two worthy recipients to its ever-growing list of charities with more than $67,000 granted to Habitat for Humanity and the Sammy D Foundation - both focused on helping young people in need.

BankSA Foundation Chairman, David Firth, said the grants would help two not-for-profit organisations provide support services for young people at a critical time in their lives.

“Young people can be particularly vulnerable when faced with challenges, and over the past year many have struggled to cope as the way we live has changed,” Mr Firth said.

“BankSA Foundation recognises that young people need support in both the school environment and when living in the community, particularly with higher youth unemployment rates against a backdrop of unpredictability and change.

“If we can help by providing funding for much-needed services, it can create clearer pathways and brighter futures.

“By supporting projects such as Habitat for Humanity’s Studio Purpose, we’ll also see a flow-on effect in the Murraylands community through increased work for trades, the purchase of building materials and overall community participation from volunteers donating time to help.”

Habitat for Humanity’s Studio Purpose is a youth housing initiative helping to address homelessness in the Murraylands, by providing four fully-furnished, self-contained units for vulnerable people aged between 15 and 21 in Murray Bridge. Studio Purpose partners with ac.care, headspace and Anglicare.

Close to 200 young people are homeless or at risk of being homeless in the Murraylands region each day – representing about 10 per cent of the youth population.

Studio Purpose will also support tenants with practical services to build life skills, health and wellbeing, education and training, and assist tenants with longer-term options such as rentals, family reunification, and access to community and public housing. BankSA Foundation has granted Studio Purpose $25,000, which will be used to support the construction phase of the housing project, including purchasing building materials.

The Sammy D Foundation educates young people about the impacts of bullying, violence, alcohol and other drug misuse. By providing relevant age-appropriate information, knowledge and tools, the Sammy D Foundation empowers young people to make positive life decisions for a better community.

BankSA Foundation has granted The Sammy D Foundation’s Educating and Empowering Young People project $42,448. The funding will provide 30 schools with an opportunity to take part in one of its three education projects; Bullying Prevention (for ages 11 to 18), Violence Prevention (for ages 13 to 18) or Alcohol and Other Drugs (for ages 13 to 18).

The grant will support schools in lower socio-economic areas where funding isn’t available to access Sammy D’s full fee-for-service offering and where there is a clear need for education programs.

Further background

BankSA Foundation, proudly driven by BankSA employees, has a strong 80-year history of charitable and community support since its inception 1941, when bank staff first chose to donate part of their wages to send comfort parcels to colleagues serving in the armed forces.

Celebrating its 80th year, and more than $10 million dollars granted to local organisations, BankSA Foundation is working to create brighter futures for people in need.

In the past five years, the Foundation has provided more than $1.5 million to worthy causes. Last year, more than $512,000 was granted to 16 local organisations which included Bushfire Assistance Grants, COVID-19 Emergency Support Payments, a Multi-Year Grant and various Community Grants.