On 18 November 2021, Bennelong Foundation held it's annual Melbourne Pitch In event. This event was held online due to restrictions. Three inspiring organisations were chosen to share their stories with Bennelong Foundation's staff and friends.
A Brave Life is a registered Not-for-Profit organisation that helps to alleviate the risks of ongoing poverty, misfortune and helplessness experienced by many teenage and young mothers by assisting them to complete their education, pursue their dreams and to LIVE LIFE BRAVE.
A Brave Life focuses on two main areas:
Walking alongside & encourage teenage mothers through our LIVE LIFE BRAVE Mentoring Programme as they complete their education.
Providing essential baby items to teenage & young mothers through our Baby Bundle Programme.
The LIVE LIFE BRAVE Mentoring programme provides weekly peer support & mentoring to teenage & young mothers under the age of 18 who are completing their high school education at a local high school within the Moreton Bay Region.
McAuley's purpose is to ensure that women and children are safe, supported and empowered to achieve their highest potential: all home safely by supporting women and their children to be safe from family violence by providing 24/7 crisis support and temporary accommodation.
They also operate McAuley Houses, at Footscray and Ballarat, which are purpose-built accommodations for women who are homeless, many of whom have also experienced family violence. It is a place for rest, recovery, and reconnection, as well as a welcoming community hub. They also provide an employment programme assisting women to gain financial independence and children’s services.
The McAuley Learning Support project will build on McAuley’s work in assisting children whose families have experienced family violence. It will reconnect children and families to learning routines and build the self-efficacy of children to see themselves as learners. A learning support officer will work with volunteer tutors to provide learning sessions to children.
Many Hands by The Beautiful Bunch is a training programme which supports young women from refugee backgrounds to build the skills, self-confidence, and social networks they need to secure a job in Australia. Their purpose is to provide young women from refugee backgrounds with the skills, self-confidence, and support networks they need to find meaningful employment. They are the only not-for-profit in Victoria working specifically with young women from refugee backgrounds.
Their trainees face some of the highest rates of unemployment in Australia. Their age, gender, class, migration journey, and experiences of prejudice, all present significant barriers to securing meaningful work. They employ, train, and support our trainees by providing safe and culturally-informed employment with a female-led floristry business, leading to increased confidence, belongingness and drive, and improved employment potential. The programme focuses on enabling the trainees to achieve financial independence and meaningful employment.