2024 was a year filled with meaningful initiatives, partnerships, and sponsorships that made a difference in people’s lives. Additionally, we celebrated the incredible work our team members do every day to support and positively impact the lives of vulnerable people in our communities. Let’s take a moment to celebrate these achievements and the positive impact we’ve created together over the past 12 months.
Supporting Communities Through the Morialta Trust Grants
In 2024, HenderCare Foundation proudly partnered with the Morialta Trust Inc. once again to deliver two impactful grants. The Remote Communities Grant, awarded to Nature Foundation Limited, supports conservation initiatives and community education programs like Kids on Country, fostering environmental stewardship and cultural connection in South Australia’s remote habitats.
Meanwhile, the Disabilities Grant provided to Missing School works to ensure that children with disabilities or chronic illnesses remain connected to their education and peers through innovative technologies and tailored strategies.
2024 Grant Recipients
HenderCare Foundation Remote Communities Grant
Recipient: Nature Foundation Limited
The Nature Foundation Limited will use this grant to support conservation initiatives in South Australia’s remote communities by providing their Kids on Country program to high school students.
Kids on Country Program offers a culturally-centered initiative where students participate in on-country camps guided by senior Aboriginal mentors. Through hands-on conservation and land management activities, the program aims to achieve the following objectives:
- Strengthen cultural identity and pride
- Foster engagement with cultural knowledge and skills
- Promote ongoing involvement in education
- Inspire future careers in conservation and land management
- Build skills, abilities, and strengths in future community leaders
This program provides students with a unique opportunity to connect deeply with their cultural heritage while developing practical skills for their future.
HenderCare Foundation Disabilities Grant
Recipient: Missing School
Missing School is dedicated to bridging educational gaps for children with disabilities or chronic illnesses by providing innovative solutions to keep them connected to their learning and peers. This grant will support a helpline pilot program to support students with complex attendance and health challenges.
Children unable to attend school often experience significant psychological distress, affecting their social connections, academic progress, and overall mental health. With the rise of chronic medical and mental health conditions, school absences and refusals have become a growing concern across Australia, creating an urgent need for effective solutions.
This grant will enable Missing School to expand its Helpline pilot program, designed to support students with complex attendance and health challenges. The Helpline will offer “education first aid” by providing students, families, and schools with:
- Guidance on regulations and available options
- Timely connections to health organisations
- Evidence-based resources
- Assistive technology to ensure students remain connected to their classrooms when physically absent
This initiative aims to bridge the gap for students, ensuring they stay engaged in their education despite challenging circumstances.
Empowering Youth with Youth Opportunities
HenderCare Foundation continues to proudly sponsor Youth Opportunities and their transformative Personal Leadership Program (PLP). The PLP empowers high school students to build confidence, resilience, and essential life skills, helping them set personal goals and create positive change in their lives and communities.
Through interactive workshops and mentorship, participants learn strategies to overcome challenges, develop self-belief, and improve their communication skills. Here’s what some participants had to say:
- “Throughout the Personal Leadership Program, I started putting up my hand and stepping outside of my comfort zone, which has improved my confidence and will help me achieve my dream career.”
- “The program has helped me make my home a more positive place by sending stars and motivating me to help out around the house.”
- “By sending more stars to the people in my life, I now have better relationships and am more confident in social situations.”
- “Youth Opportunities has helped me find a career path that I’m really motivated to achieve.”
Sponsoring Events for Positive Change
As a platinum sponsor, HenderCare Foundation was also honoured to support the KWY Event, showcasing innovative and culturally safe responses to Aboriginal family and domestic violence and child protection. Additionally, we proudly supported the DCP Symposium, aligning with our mission to promote connection and empowerment in vulnerable communities.
A Legacy of Giving
Through these initiatives, the Foundation has supported resilience in remote communities, inclusivity for individuals with disabilities, and growth for young leaders. Together, we’re building a brighter, more connected future.
Thank you for being part of this journey. Let’s carry this momentum forward into another impactful year of giving and making a difference.