In celebration of their 30 year milestone of making impact in the community, AMP Foundation hosted the AMP Stair Challenge to raise funds for Variety Queensland. 18 AMP employees climbed 1,767 stairs and 49 floors up a spiral staircase in the iconic QQT building at Circular Quay in Sydney. They took in views of the stunning Sydney Harbour through the building’s glass windows along the way.
Each AMP employee who participated had to raise a minimum of $500 for Variety but many raised even more. Altogether they raised $20,000 in total, then AMP Foundation dollar matched this amount to make the total amount $40,000! This will make a huge difference for Variety’s Financial Counselling Program and the families it assists.
Variety’s Financial Counselling Program helps families with kids work through financial hardship. Variety Financial Counsellors are fully qualified professionals who assist families with managing debt, household budgets, understanding their financial rights and more. They can also advocate on the behalf of families, to assist in situations that involve negotiating with creditors and accessing utility grants.
The funds raised will help to fund the time of Variety’s Financial Counsellors to assist families over the phone and advocate on their behalf. It will also help to fund face to face visits to schools and family homes where Variety Financial Counsellors can have a more hands on impact when helping families improve their financial skills.
This year more than ever we’ve had an unprecedented number of families reach out to us for help affording the basics for their kids like school uniforms, text books, stationery supplies and school excursions. The funds raised will also help provide grants for these essential items to kids affected by household financial hardship, to make sure no child misses out.
The program has helped kids like Sione. He was born with Smith-Magenes Syndrome, a rare chromosomal disorder which has resulted in severe intellectual disability. Due to his family not being Australian citizens, Sione is not eligible for any government assistance like the NDIS. He requires special orthopaedic shoes to help him walk without pain which have been incredibly difficult for his family to provide due to their financial situation. Unfortunately, Sione was also preyed on by local gangs who used him as an enforcer. On top of this, his family was held ransom by their landlord who illegally demanded payment of a $5000 water bill.
Variety’s Financial Counselling Program has helped Sione’s family in so many ways, from getting the illegally issued water bill waived and providing the family with a grant so that Sione now has the special shoes he needs. Thank you to the AMP Foundation and Variety supporters for your continued support of Variety’s Financial Counselling Program. It’s your support that helps us create this impact for kids like Sione and his family.
