The St Vincent de Paul Society is providing more than 1,000 students with back-to-school necessities thanks to a generous commitment from Amazon Australia.
St Vincent de Paul Society National Council President, Claire Victory said when families are struggling to make ends meet, the additional costs of the new school year can be overwhelming.’
‘Amazon Australia has provided one thousand $100 gift cards to the Society to distribute to families in need,’ Ms Victory said.
‘They have set up a unique Vinnies ‘Back to School’ online shop to help guide families around Amazon.com.au’s wide selection of school products to choose from, including backpacks, drink bottles and stationery.
‘Vinnies offices in NSW, Victoria, Queensland, South Australia, and Western Australia will each receive 180 gift cards, while 100 more will be distributed through the Canberra Goulburn office,’ Ms Victory said.
‘The initiative is part of Amazon’s global commitment to support disadvantaged students to succeed at school,’ said Matt Furlong, Country Manager of Amazon Australia.
‘The start of this school year will be a difficult time for many families across Australia, so we have teamed up with Vinnies to provide support to some of the students who need it most.
‘We hope this support will help ensure that more students can focus on their studies and thrive, and not fall behind as the COVID-19 pandemic continues,’ Mr Furlong said.
The St Vincent de Paul Society will be providing some of the 1,000 gifts cards direct to families in need and via its extensive membership network who will help families purchase supplies using the cards.
‘This is the kind of work Vinnies does every day, but significant commitments such as this increases our ability to provide essential goods to a greater number of people,’ Ms Victory said.
The St Vincent de Paul Society in Australia consists of 60,000 members and volunteers who operate on the ground through over 1,000 groups located in local communities across the country.
