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PUMP
The Samford Progress Association’s free community newspaper printed continuously since 1977.
The ILLAGE
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“Your Community Newspaper, owned by the Samford Community and produced for the benefit of the Samford Community.” 12 JULY 2024
P: 0477 663 696 E: editor@villagepump.org.au NEXT DEADLINE THURSDAY 18/07/2024
INNOVATING FOR OTHERS Known for connecting essential items to those going through a tough time, registered charity GIVIT gained national recognition when it stepped up to help those affected by various recent natural disasters including the Queensland floods and Victorian bushfires. GIVIT founder and local trailblazer, Juliette Wright OAM, recently gained another personal recognition, winning the 2024 Queensland Philanthropy Innovation Award. “I am deeply humbled and honoured to be named Queensland Innovative Philanthropist of the Year, especially among such extraordinary Queenslanders across the category,” Juliette said. “I deeply believe that Queenslanders are the most generous givers on earth. I have very compelling evidence, launching here at Camp Mountain in 2009. GIVIT’s platform has now facilitated over 8.37 million donations for those in urgent need.” The innovation award acknowledged the creation of an international non-profit donation management platform - Recovere, which supports prepared and unprepared international communities post-crisis. The platform will launch in January 2025. Despite her own tireless work in supporting both individual and community recovery over the last 15 years, Juliette is quick to acknowledge the vast team that drives the organisation’s success.
“This recognition is not something I carry alone; it belongs to every volunteer, staff member, and all donors over the last 15 years of GIVIT,” she said. The story of GIVIT began when Juliette tried to donate quality baby clothes in 2009 but found that no local charities needed them at the time. This led her to start asking
the charities what exactly they did need. “I was shocked when a children’s charity told me that a pair of closed-toe work boots could pull a family out of poverty. However, the charity didn’t even know the boot size needed,” Juliette said. “I realised there was a gap; a way to support our most vulnerable that needed to be urgently addressed. I envisioned an online platform where charities could request what they needed, and donors could offer what they had to give.” Juliette then created two online catalogues: one for needs requested by registered non-profits and one for offers from the public. Her goal was to match needs and offers, ensuring that the right items reached the people who needed them the most. This vision blossomed into GIVIT. “GIVIT is more than a program; it’s a community of giving, built on the simple yet powerful idea that everyone deserves to have their basic needs met, while enabling the giver to experience the profound joy of making a real difference.” Tanya Hall
Further information: www.givit.org.au Pictured: Juliette Wright OAM with her husband Glen Wright at the Awards ceremony.
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