Donna and Lloyd were busy parents working full-time but they knew they wanted to give back to children in care.

Through her work as a police officer, Donna was exposed the reality of life for some children. This, and a desire to grow their family, inspired Donna and Lloyd to welcome their first foster child into their family with daughter Grace.

Now, more than 10 years later, the couple have been long-term foster carers to two children.

“I couldn’t bear the thought that these children could be living somewhere without love, it’s hard to imagine,” Donna said.

Donna and Lloyd still have regular contact with their first foster child – who is now 19 years old – who moved out of the family home to live independently.

Their second – an eight-year-old – has lived with Donna, Lloyd, their adopted greyhound and three chickens for just over a year.

While their foster care journey hasn’t been without challenges, Donna and Lloyd said the positive times far outweighed the challenges.

They encouraged anyone considering foster care to take the plunge.

“I think people hear more of the good than the bad and there is definitely a stigma around foster care and foster children,” Lloyd said.

“But I think if you want to do it, how much time you have doesn’t matter. They’re part of the family and you make it happen.”

AnglicareSA is one of South Australia’s largest foster care providers, if you are interested in finding out more about becoming a carer, please visit anglicaresa.com.au/foster-care/ 

AnglicareSA’s Solar Pilot Program continues to be a shining light on the national stage, taking out the Sustainability category of the recent Future of Ageing Awards.

Launched in October 2020, the collaboration with CORENA, 369 Labs, and Beat Energy provides smart rooftop solar energy systems to tenants with no upfront costs.

Currently, 150 systems have been installed on our aged care Independent Living Units and Believe Housing Australia (BHA) properties. The solar systems are fully paid for, maintained, and owned by AnglicareSA and BHA.

With no out-of-pocket expenses for tenants, this solar initiative helps to reduce bills, contribute positively to the environment, and educate our tenants to better understand and control how and when to use energy throughout the day.

It is estimated that annual tenant savings through the solar project is in the range of $250-$280, representing an energy bill saving of up to 25 per cent each year.

In September, Believe Housing Australia was honoured with the Innovation Award for the solar project at the Australasian Housing Institute (AHI) Brighter Future Awards SA/NT. 

“Winning the Innovation Award for our Solar Project is truly marvellous, shedding light on our unwavering dedication to enhancing lives and nurturing sustainable communities through groundbreaking ideas and unwavering commitment,” Believe Housing Australia Executive General Manager Stacey Northover said. 

As we work towards our goal of increasing the supply of social and affordable housing in South Australia, we’re committed to ensuring the development of sustainable homes suitable for the long-term.

It was a Christmas treat come early at the end of November when South Australian icon, Kytons Bakery, kindly donated $4,500 worth of their tasty Christmas puddings to the AnglicareSA Hamper Drive.

Our Hope Mobile, accompanied by our wonderful Beyond Bank volunteers Kerri and Dom, were on hand to collect the 200 award-winning puddings direct from the doors of Kytons, continuing a long-running commitment from owners Sharon and Darren Sutton to supporting the community.

Sharon said Kytons Bakery was celebrating being part of the South Australian community for 85 years this year, a community they love being a part of.

“We know that many people are finding life tough out there at the moment,” Sharon said. “So, we thought we would spread some festive love out there.

“An important part of the Kytons business are the community fundraising drives which we have been assisting community, sporting, and school groups to run since the mid-80s.

“At the same time though we think it’s important to give back to the South Australian community directly as South Australians have supported Kytons over so many decades.”

With thousands of South Australians facing poverty every day and the increased cost of living, AnglicareSA will this year provide more than 1000 food hampers and more than 2000 children’s gifts to individuals and families in need.

By providing food hampers, basic essential items, financial and emotional support, we aim to not only support people in need during the festive season, but to help them to get their lives back on track.

With the help of our donors, like Kytons, thankfully our Emergency Assistance program can continue to provide relief and hope for those experiencing hardship and vulnerability.

To find out how you can support South Australians in need this Christmas, click here.

Enjoying a simple conversation and putting a smile on the faces of the residents he visits is real sense of satisfaction for volunteer John.

Every fortnight John gives up his time at our Westbourne Park residential aged care site as a Community Volunteer, engaging with a number of regular residents in one-on-one conversations about anything and everything.

“I try to get them to talk and find the touch points that really light up their eyes,” said John.

“And if I can get them talking and there’s a bit of a brightness in their face because they get quite animated about what they did in their working life or a particular hobby or interest – I’ve really achieved my goal.

“If you can get a big cheery smile when you walk in the room – and they’ve clearly not been feeling too good – and their face lights up, that’s the satisfaction, probably more than anything else.”

After retiring in 2019 from a successful career in retail, in particular shopping centre management, John wanted to be able to give back to the community that had been so good to him.

“I had thought for some months before retiring, that I really would need to do something else to keep engaged with people,” John said.

“And I think there was a real sense of wanting to give back. I felt that I’d been given a lot of opportunities in my working life, so giving back to the community, in some form or another, that’s what I’d do.”

Customer Wellness Coordinator Jennifer Pilling said the Westbourne Park team were grateful to have such a wonderful Community Volunteer in John who makes so much of a difference with his visits.

“John truly cares about the residents and their stories,” Jennifer said. “They enjoy discussing topics of interest to them and so the resident leads the dialogue and John follows.

“Families of residents also enjoy John visiting and will chat to him when he comes in.”

At AnglicareSA, we’re proud to have around 300 volunteers who give their time to support people in need. Volunteers are an integral part of our support services — their generosity and commitment enable us to deliver a broad range of services to the South Australian community.

You can Register Your Interest online by clicking here, or alternatively view our current volunteer opportunities here.