Five projects making a difference with Stockland CARE Foundation support
This year, five outstanding projects were each awarded $20,000 under the CARE Foundation’s Community Catalyst Grants Program, created to address unmet needs within Stockland communities.
Wadawurrung Traditional Owners Aboriginal Corporation
Since European settlement, it is estimated that over 60 species of Australian plants have become extinct, with another 600 under threat. On Wadawurrung Country on Victoria’s Bellarine Peninsula, the Wadawurrung Traditional Owners Corporation responded to this with a project that is employing traditional owners to propagate native species of plants and seeds.
Their efforts have been supported with a $20,000 grant from the Stockland CARE Foundation, which has an ongoing mission to create social and environmental value by offering financial support to innovative and targeted community initiatives.
At the Wadawurrung Traditional Owners Corporation, CEO Matthew Smith said the Stockland CARE grant has been a key support for its plant nursery.
“It has empowered our community and helped us contribute to conservation efforts on Wadawurrung Country,” says Smith.
The native plant project is one of many supported by the CARE Foundation since it was launched in 2015.
Kindred
Kindred – a not-for-profit peer support organisation for families of children with disabilities – used the $20,000 grant to develop Finding Your Way, a digital guide offering emotional support and practical information for families navigating the early stages of a child’s disability diagnosis.
CEO Stacey Touma said that as a parent of a child with a disability, she knows firsthand the importance of support in the “overwhelming early stages.”
“This guide will empower families to approach their journey with hope, knowledge, and confidence,” she said.
ReLove
At ReLove in Sydney, the grant helped launch Shop for Good, an online furniture store where 100% of the proceeds go back into self-sustaining the not-for-profit organisation.
Stockland’s support and marketing expertise also assisted ReLove in expanding its services and continuing to offer vital support to more people in need.
“Thanks to Stockland’s grant, we’ve grown our Shop for Good online store, providing essential furniture and comfort to families in crisis and sustainable solutions for our community,” said co-founders Ben Stammer & Renuka Fernando.
Head Start Homes
In the social housing sector, the Community Catalyst grant aided Head Start Homes in helping people currently in social and affordable housing work towards home ownership, with a focus on supporting First Nations families.
“This grant has allowed us to extend critical services to First Nations families, helping them build intergenerational wealth through homeownership,” said founder Stephen Woodlands. “It’s a deeply personal and meaningful project, one that is already creating lasting impacts.”
The grant also helped Head Start Homes expand its reach to South Australia and Queensland, where it is empowering more families on their journey to break the cycle of intergenerational poverty.
Good Spaces
The fifth grant was awarded to Good Spaces, an arm of the social enterprise Good Cycles, which empowers vulnerable youth by building capacity to reduce barriers to employment.
Good Cycles used the Community Catalyst grant to purchase a package of electric hand tools for Good Spaces, which provides employment pathways for young people in green space management and asset maintenance industries.
“The grant supported our Youth Employment Program, creating job pathways in horticulture and asset maintenance while helping young people build confidence, skills, and overcome barriers,” said Good Spaces General Manager, Matthew Collins.
The CARE Foundation
At Stockland, Bonny Bayne, Manager of the CARE Foundation, says that the Catalyst Grants are at the heart of Stockland’s commitment to supporting communities.
“This program is on a mission to find and support organisations with brilliant solutions for unmet social needs in Stockland communities, providing them with funding and expertise to boost their impact,” she said.
“Sustainable growth needs more than just funding, and we assist in mapping the needs and providing skilled volunteers. Sharing knowledge and resources is crucial to building resilience."