New Funding to Celebrate Anniversary of the Canonisation of Australia’s First Saint

Above: Australia’s first saint, MaryMacKillop, projected on the Sydney Harbour Bridge.  Image:  Some rights reserved by mickyg9

To mark the anniversary of the canonisation of Australia’s first saint, the Mary MacKillop Foundation has awarded special funding for what is describes as ‘small life changing’ projects.

Grant recipients will receive grants of up to $10,000 each from the Foundation to help them continue meeting needs around them.

Sam Hardjono, CEO, Mary MacKillop Foundation says Australians are generous people and all across Australia there are small community-based projects that voluntarily assist those who are less fortunate than them or in need of a helping hand.

Hardjono says in keeping with Mary MacKillop’s philosophy to ‘never see a need without trying to do something about it’, the Mary MacKillop Foundation is continuing her legacy by supporting ‘small life changing projects’ across Australia that help people to overcome destitution, isolation, and the effects of misfortune.

This year, the Foundation doubled the amount of grants available to offer extra support to projects that have a particular regard to disaster recovery in Australia.

The small life changing projects include:

• a group that helps reconnect elderly Australians in Queensland who evacuated from their homes during the recent floods
• a housing and rehabilitation program that provides a caring, supervised and safe home for families at risk to live in whilst undergoing rehabilitation and learning vital life skills, while keeping the family unit together
• a weekly program that helps people suffering from financial distress to reduce their food bills by teaching them basic cooking skills that use cheaper fresh ingredients
• a free digital storytelling arts program for teenagers that are new migrants to Australia and struggling to transition to a new language and culture
• a Not for Profit that offers transport for Indigenous Australians who were stranded by Cyclone Yasi.

Sam Hardjono says the Mary MacKillop Foundation has the responsibility of continuing the legacy of Australia’s first saint, and they do it in unique way.

He says the legacy of Mary MacKillop does not belong to the Sisters of St Joseph or the Mary MacKillop Foundation, rather she is part of history for all Australians.

The Mary MacKillop Foundation is an organisation of the Sisters of St Joseph, the congregation that St Mary MacKillop founded in 1866.

For more information visit www.mackillopfoundation.org.au