A 300% increase in demand for services from disadvantaged mothers and babies.
The Hospital Research Foundation is proud to provide a further $20,000 grant to South Australian charity Treasure Boxes to help meet a 300% increase in demand for their services support at-risk babies and children in SA.
The volunteer-run charity provides essential items to disadvantaged new mothers and their babies; and has been overwhelmed by requests for support from women fleeing domestic violence situations made worse by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The charity was forced to close in April this year due to the lockdown, but since opening up again in May with support from THRF, Treasure Boxes has been able to provide 83 newborn babies with a cot so they have a safe place to sleep, 393 babies and children with clothing boxes to keep them warm during winter, 266 boxes of new nappies and 18,267 other vital essentials such as feeding equipment and strollers to safety care for babies and children.
A whopping total of $594,385 worth of goods has been delivered to SA families in need in just 15 weeks; substantially reducing the risk of severe poverty, homelessness and financial hardship for our vulnerable communities.
Treasure Boxes receives little external or Government support despite this enormous value given to local communities, and THRF is pleased to help the hardworking team deliver their vital services after an initial $50,000 grant in April.
The donation is much appreciated by Treasure Boxes CEO Rikki Cooke.
“The demand for our service continues to grow week by week with families struggling to make ends meet during this very challenging time of job loss and despair,” she says.
“This grant from THRF will allow us to reach and impact the lives of more South Australian families that need our help, and enable us to meet our core mission to reduce the number of babies and children living in poverty in SA.”
“Christmas is always a challenging time and this year will see even more pressures on families, so we are eternally grateful for any support we can receive to help South Australian families in need.”
Thank you to all our donors for making this grant possible!
