HELP TRANSFORM HOMELESSNESS WITHOUT HAVING TO SPEND A CENT
With the global economic downturn, the need to support Australia’s disadvantaged must be a priority. High costs of living, the burden of debt and the looming growth in unemployment have all intensified financial pressure on disadvantaged Australians, says Mission Australia, and will lead to a surge in demand for crisis services over the coming months.
With the threat of a recession, and an estimated 200,000 job losses predicted next year, Mission Australia is asking Australians to assist vulnerable people in the community by getting behind today’s launch of the Transform Homelessness campaign, a joint online initiative between Bayer Australia and Mission Australia.
The Transform Homelessness campaign encourages Australians to visit www.transformhomelessness.com.au and create a butterfly to show their support for the 105,000 Australians who are homeless each night1. The butterfly is Mission Australia’s symbol for transforming the lives of disadvantaged people... For every butterfly created, Bayer Australia will donate $1 to Mission Australia - and it won’t cost you a cent. The aim is to create a map of Australia with 60,000 butterflies and raise $60,000 for Mission Australia to inject back into the community and support homeless Australians.
Mission Australia’s Executive Leader for Community Services, Lincoln Hopper, believes the Transform Homelessness campaign is a great way for Australians to contribute to the community and raise much-needed funds.
“In recent months, Mission Australia has already seen an increased demand for food and travel vouchers and even worse, an increased number of Australians who are homeless for the first time due to a single financial crisis such as a major illness or even losing their job.
“When tough economic times hit, it’s those at the margins who suffer first. Interest rates may be coming down but the cost of living, particularly rent, is still high and if unemployment rises substantially we’ll see more families and individuals turning to us for help. The lead up to Christmas can be particularly tough when expenses usually go up.
“This is a time when Australians need to help one another. Christmas is the time for giving so we hope all Australians will support the Transform Homelessness cause by visiting the website and forwarding the link onto their friends.
“We rely on the generous support of corporate partners like Bayer to fund our services and the $60,000 raised from this campaign will be vital to support disadvantaged Australians in the coming year,” said Mr Hopper.
Senior Bayer Representative for Australia and New Zealand, Hans-Dieter Hausner is thrilled Bayer is able to help the Australian community through the launch of this initiative with Mission Australia.
“Bayer has been a long-term supporter of Mission Australia and we look forward to the money raised from the Transform Homelessness campaign helping our fellow Australians through these tough financial times. It’s a great way of supporting Mission Australia.” said Mr Hausner.
To find out more about the Transform Homelessness initiative and how you can help, please visit www.transformhomelessness.com.au.
Issued on behalf of Bayer Australia and Mission Australia by Edelman
For further information or to arrange an interview, please contact Edelman:
Elissa Callaghan, (02) 9291 3361 or 0402 365 899 or elissa.callaghan@edelman.com
Eleanor Garth, (02) 9291 3334 or 0411 273 976 or eleanor.garth@edelman.com
References:
1. ABS, 'Counting the Homeless', 2006
About Mission Australia
Mission Australia is a non-denominational Christian community service organisation. For almost 150 years, we have been helping change the lives of Australians in need. We have more than 450 services across metropolitan, rural and regional Australia – in every state and territory – and last year assisted more than 330,000 people. We are committed to eliminating disadvantage and creating a fairer Australia. Through our programs and services, we combat homelessness; assist families and children to develop a safe, nurturing environment; support disadvantaged young people; deliver entry-level training; and help unemployed people find permanent work. Visit www.missionaustralia.com.au to find out more.
About Bayer Australia
A global enterprise, Bayer has core competencies in the areas of health care, nutrition and high-tech materials. In Australia and New Zealand, Bayer has invested significantly in local research and manufacturing for more than 80 years.
Bayer’s products and services are designed to benefit people and improve their quality of life. Known worldwide as an inventor company, Bayer continues to strengthen its position through research and innovation.
Divided into three business groups, Bayer HealthCare, Bayer CropScience and Bayer MaterialScience, Bayer employs around 850 people in Australia and New Zealand, and 106,000 people worldwide. In 2007 Bayer generated A$713 million in revenue in Australia and New Zealand.
Bayer Australia and New Zealand is a fully owned subsidiary of Bayer AG based in Leverkusen, Germany. Research and development are key to Bayer’s success and most of today’s business activities are based on Bayer’s own innovations. Visit www.bayer.com.au to find out more.
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