From the income received from investments the CatholicCare Foundation has been able to award several grants over the last 2 years including:
Centacare Industries
Centacare Industries is a supported employment business service for adults with an intellectual disability. In 2005 the Centacare Foundation awarded a grant of $10,000 to Centacare Industries for Andrew, an employee of CatholicCare Garden and Tree Services, to complete a Horticulture Traineeship that will assist him in gaining meaningful permanent employment in the future.
Holyoake
Holyoake is a program of CatholicCare, Sydney. Its vision is to help break the cycle of dependency in families who are affected by problematic substance abuse through provision of education, therapy and support programs. It runs a number of sub programs one of which is the Pathways to Change Program. This program is geared toward specific ages and genders. Recently the CatholicCare Foundation awarded a grant of $10,000 to Holyoake to assist in running groups designed for children aged from 5 years who are living in a family so affected.
ALIVE
CatholicCare’s A.L.I.V.E. (Adolescents Living Independently via Empowerment) Program works with a range of young people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness in the inner west and south eastern Sydney. A.L.I.V.E. aims to assist young people to find appropriate and affordable accommodation and to become active citizens with in the community while achieving their goals and dreams. In 2006 the Centacare Foundation granted $10,000 their ALIVE & WELL project. This project is designed to give these young people an opportunity to attend groups that enhance their living skills, increase social and relationship skills, reduce isolation, reduce stress and improve the quality of their lives.
Sedevic Cottage Sensory Garden
CatholicCare’s Family Support and Early Childhood Intervention Programs are two important services that operate from Sedevic Cottage at Cabramatta. Many children who visit this Centre come from low socio-economic and ethnically diverse backgrounds and families are often isolated, living in units with no backyards or safe play areas. The CatholicCare Foundation was very pleased to grant Sedevic over $13,000 to develop an area that was partially fenced and unused as a Sensory Garden/adventure playground. This area can accommodate the older children who visit the Centre and in particular, it will cater for many children who have physical and intellectual disabilities and are unable to utilize the more conventional park-like playgrounds.