October 19, 2018

UOW Cares enables staff to donate to drought-affected communities

Staff donations to Rural Aid to be matched by University

For the month of October, staff at the University of Wollongong (UOW) will have the opportunity to help farmers in need by contributing to the staff giving program.

UOW Cares, which enables staff to make regular donations to charitable causes, has expanded its list of organisations to include Rural Aid – Buy A Bale, which provides relief to communities impacted by the ongoing drought in rural Australia.

Every donation made by staff will be matched, dollar for dollar, by the University.

Buy A Bale provides much-needed support and assistance to farmers and communities affected by drought. The organisation delivers hay to farmer but also responds to shifting community needs, such as providing diesel and trucks to farmers, and even helping to keep homes warm in winter.

Many students relocate from regional communities to study at UOW, while a number of the University’s campuses are also in regions that are experiencing drought conditions.

Mitchell Brown, Project Officer for the Community Engagement team, said it was a fantastic opportunity for staff to provide tangible support to these communities and know that their donation was making a difference to the lives of farmers.

“Farmers in regional communities are struggling with one of the toughest droughts in Australia’s history, and we wanted to find a way that we could help,” Mr Brown said.

“A significant number of our students are from areas experiencing drought, and this enables us to support them and their communities.

“The initiative has already had an impact as it is the first time UOW will match donations dollar for dollar. It has also shown that UOW Cares is able to respond to the needs of the university community and help facilitate donations to a cause that is close to many people’s hearts.”

UOW Cares is a workplace giving program that enables staff to choose which charity to support, from a list of approved organisations that have a meaningful impact on the lives of others.

The donations to Rural Aid – Buy A Bale will be open for the month of October.

Find out more about UOW Cares and the organisations it supports here.