The Harcourts Foundation has awarded a $5,000 grant to Koala Kids’ Back Packs Inc, a volunteer-run charity supporting children experiencing food insecurity across Adelaide’s north suburbs.
The funding will allow the organisation to supply approximately 1,742 non-perishable meal packs, giving vulnerable children access to breakfast and lunch throughout the school week.
Koala Kids’ Back Packs was founded five years ago by long-time community volunteer Lynne Davis. The charity works with school wellbeing coordinators to discreetly deliver emergency food packs to children who need them, without families having to ask for help.
Head of the Harcourts Foundation, Pauline Smith, said the grant reflected the Foundation’s focus on backing grassroots organisations making a difference in their local communities.
“Koala Kids’ Back Packs is doing extraordinary work to ensure children don’t go hungry simply because their families are doing it tough. Knowing this grant will provide more than 1,700 meal packs makes the impact incredibly tangible, and we’re proud to support such an important initiative,” Pauline said.
Lynne said the grant would make a significant difference to hundreds of local families, and explained what led her to start the charity.
“I’ve worked in the not-for-profit sector for more than 15 years, and I started Koala Kids’ Back Packs because I was seeing the grief and despair families were experiencing every day. Too many parents simply don’t have enough food to feed their children,” Lynne said.
She said many people assume schools provide meals for hungry children, but that’s often not the case.
“Some schools have breakfast clubs, some don’t, and many teachers quietly go above and beyond to help students however they can. Our meal packs are designed to fill that gap. We work directly with school wellbeing coordinators so children can access food when they need it, without drawing attention to themselves or placing additional pressure on their families,” Lynne said.
Rising living costs continue to place pressure on households across Australia, and Lynne said demand for the charity’s support keeps growing as more schools seek assistance.
“This funding means we can provide 1,742 meal packs to children who might otherwise go without,” she said.
“Every pack represents one less child trying to learn on an empty stomach. That’s a difference we can see every single day.”
The Harcourts Foundation continues to fund community organisations across Australia and New Zealand that are working to improve lives and strengthen local communities.