By Jessica Anstice
Three deserving charity organisations have been announced local heroes, as nominated and voted for by the local community.
Littlefoot and Company, Sikh Volunteers Australia and Backpacks 4 Vic Kids were announced Westfield Local Heroes grant recipients for 2020.
Every year, Fountain Gate Shopping Centre awards up to three $10,000 grants to deserving individuals and their organisations who dedicate their time to positively impact the lives of others.
The grants are awarded to further support the important contributions they make in their communities.
Josh Carell, founder of Littlefoot and Company, a Casey based creative event and art therapy organisation, uses the power of art to help improve mental health.
Five years ago, he and his sister Eden, a qualified art therapist, established the organisation to provide free art therapy to the community.
The pair host a range of events and workshops, including visual arts, spoken word and poetry workshops, for young people and adults.
“Making art in the company of others or sharing your art allows for social connection and a sense of being valued. It can allow for healing and growth,” Mr Carell said.
Financial support has been an issue for Littlefoot and Company, so Mr Carell coordinates popular outdoor movie nights in Berwick’s botanic gardens, which help fund the free art programs.
He and the company have worked hard to continue supporting the community during the Covid-19 pandemic through online programs.
“Art therapy is a practical resource for mental health preventative measures and is essential for developing minds to cope and comprehend the challenges we face,” he added.
Littlefoot and Company will use its $10,000 grant to rent a dedicated space for its free art therapy programs for a year.
Mr Carell said it was “a bit of a surprise at first” when notified of the win.
“Overall we were very happy and excited when we realised we were one of the winners,” he said.
“This grant is big for us as it will allow us to open up our very own space in 2021 and provide free art therapy for the community, which has been a dream of ours ever since we started Littlefoot and Company.
“It means a lot. It motivates us to keep persisting and chasing our goals of creating a sustainable company that offers social support and therapeutic spaces. It’s extremely humbling to know our community continues to get around us and support us and gives us an opportunity to take things to the next level as a community organisation.”
Volunteering is a part of life for Sukhjit Singh, a member of Sikh Volunteers Australia.
He was there to help when the worst bushfires in living memory ravaged Victoria.
The dedicated volunteer spent 16 days at the Bairnsdale relief centre working with Sikh Volunteers Australia’s free food van, offering three meals a day to evacuees.
Sukhjit was up at 4.30am to start preparing breakfast and often worked late into the night.
The organisation aims to promote peace, harmony and multiculturalism.
“I do this to promote wellbeing and prosperity for everyone,” Sukhjit said.
“It’s my responsibility to give back something to the community that has provided my family and me with so many opportunities.”
Sukhjit perfectly balances volunteering with his personal life and busy career.
“I mostly do service in our free food van program,” he added.
“We not only help people in need but break down barriers and help people come together to make a great multicultural Australia.”
Sikh Volunteers Australia will use its grant to replace the oven in its food van and increase food storage capacity to serve more people in an emergency.
Backpacks 4 Vic Kids founder Sally Beard leads a dedicated team of volunteers that provides much-needed comfort and dignity for vulnerable children entering foster or emergency care.
These children are often taken into care at a moment’s notice with nothing more than the clothes they are wearing.
Ms Beard was outraged when she heard many wait up to eight hours in soiled clothing or hospital clothing while waiting for a safe place to go.
She founded the non-profit Backpacks 4 Vic Kids to provide these children with a backpack of essentials and comfort items.
The backpacks contain clean, appropriate clothing, new underwear and comfort items like a blankets, soft toy and a torch.
Other items in the pack include toiletries, stationery, a book, new socks and what Ms Beard calls extra love items such as games, lunchboxes or warm gloves.
“Each pack has several hand-made items like woollen blankets so the children can literally wrap themselves in the love of someone who cares,” she said.
“My goal is to ensure the displaced children have clean, appropriate clothing, toiletries and a few belongings of their own.”
Backpacks 4 Vic Kids will use its grant to put together 200 ME packs.
Earlier this year, the community was called upon to submit nominations for everyday heroes they believe would benefit from the recognition before being put to a public vote.
Speaking to the success of the 2020 Westfield Local Heroes program, Scentre Group national community experience manager Pam Wilson said the company continues to recognise and reward everyday people doing extraordinary things.
“We are thrilled to be able to support the incredible work they are doing every day and it’s with great pleasure that we announce our 2020 Westfield Local Heroes grant recipients,” she said.
“We thank our customers for casting their votes and helping determine our 2020 Westfield Local Heroes across our centres.”
