October 23, 2012

Getting Hands-On for Anti-Poverty Week

Anti-Poverty Week 2012 took place between the 14th and 20th October. This annual national initiative was established in Australia as an expansion of the UN’s International Anti-Poverty Day, with the aim of highlighting issues of poverty and hardship.

As part of Wyatt’s commitment to the South Australian non-profit sector, this year’s Anti-Poverty Week saw the release of Wyatt staff members to undertake volunteer work within local charities or welfare organisations of their choice. Activities undertaken included the packing of Christmas hampers for people in need, and assisting with the preparation and serving of meals at an inner-city day centre.

Wyatt staff members relished the opportunity to spend time within local non-profits, learning more about the essential services provided on a daily basis to South Australians in need. For everyone involved in the initiative, the volunteer hours passed too quickly. Wyatt staff returned to the office invigorated by the experience, and enthused by our dynamic non-profit sector. As Kate Fox, Grants Manager for Wyatt’s Housing Options Portfolio, commented: “what a great experience it was to be able to spend time on the ground within such an inspiring organisation. It was fantastic to be able to provide support in a volunteer capacity – I’ll definitely be signing up again for it next year!”

Poverty remains a pervasive feature of Australian society, with a recent Australian Council of Social Service (ACOSS) report indicating that an estimated 2,265,000 Australians are living below the poverty line. Anti-Poverty Week aims to strengthen public understanding of the causes and consequences of poverty, and to encourage research, discussion and action to address these issues.

For more information about the range of activities undertaken across Australia during the week, visit the Anti-Poverty Week website.