Community asked to dig deep to help vital not-for-profit

A not-for-profit organisation that has helped hundreds of struggling students and families is asking the community to dig deep and support their fundraising efforts.

Volunteers from Stationery Aid – an organisation that collects, sorts and cleans used educational resources to create booklists and stationery boxes for disadvantaged students – have been busy fundraising to reach their end-of-year goal of $15,000.

Stationery Aid Co-founder Alison Schutt says all money raised will cover the costs of operating the program, which collects and renews education resources to make booklists.

“We collect used and unused excess school stationery and books that are in in good working condition, and we sort and clean them to the highest possible standard so they can be donated in school booklists and stationery packs,” Mrs Schutt said.

“It costs approximately $60 per child to make a booklist.

“The $15,000 we are hoping to raise will help contribute to those costs.

Alison believes they will need to make more packs this year, due to the high number of people needing help.

“This year our target was to support 200 students at the beginning of the school year, but we ended up reaching 339 students,  as well as an additional 27 impacted by the floods.

"Next year, we are aiming to reach 300 students, but it will be very likely that we will go above that.

“Education and sustainability are at the core of what we do, and we truly believe education is the key to success of our children.

“The more support we have from our community, the more disadvantaged children we can help in the long term.”

Once the packs are made, the team from Stationery Aid coordinate with schools and chaplains to determine where the booklists will go.

Win a Thermomix

The organisation is off to a good start with their fundraising efforts, having successfully raised $389 from a recent sausage sizzle on June 11.

Currently, the organisation is raffling off a Thermomix worth $2359.

Tickets are $20 each, with the raffle to be drawn on July 31.

To buy a raffle ticket, log onto https://www.trybooking.com/events/landing?eid=911654&

Test your brain at trivia

In addition, a trivia night has been organised by Marist180, another non-for-profit community organisation that provides a range of services and programs to help individuals achieve their employment goals.

The Christmas in July trivia night will be held on Saturday, July 9 at the Hills District Community Centre, located at 291 Dawson Parade, Arana Hills.

The night will feature lots of prizes, raffles and of course trivia, with all proceeds to be donated to Stationery Aid.

Prizes will be given for the best ugly sweater and best decorated table.

BYO food is accepted, with drinks, snacks, pizza and alcohol available for purchase on the night.

Tickets are $20 per person.

Doors will open at 6pm with the trivia kicking off at 6.30pm.

Tickets to the trivia night can be purchased here.

A gala evening

Alison says the organisation is also in the planning stages of a gala event, which will be held later in the year.

More details will be announced in due course.

Get connected

For more information about the work Stationery Aid does in the community, log onto their website