Young people with high care needs will be able to stay socially connected as Youngcare looks to launch a new phone service with a $20,000 COVID-19 Emergency Grant from Hand Heart Pocket the Charity of Freemasons Queensland.
The unrestricted funding will allow the organisation to set up the service and deploy its volunteer base to maintain regular phone contact with their clients, many of whom have been in isolation for the past several months as a result of the pandemic.
Youngcare CEO Anthony Ryan said this funding would help the charity to respond to the needs of their community, who are more vulnerable than most.
“The service will help to alleviate the heightened level of anxiety and feelings of loneliness currently experienced by many of our clients,” Mr Ryan said.
“Having social contact and a forum for meaningful conversations will significantly improve their mental health and well-being.
“We’re grateful to Hand Heart Pocket for this funding which ensures the delivery of this service for at least the next five months.”
Hand Heart Pocket Chief Executive Officer Gary Mark said the charity was focused on assisting its charity partners and working with Freemason Lodges to increase support at a grassroots level during the Coronavirus pandemic.
“So far, we have provided more than $700,000 in COVID-19 emergency support and Grassroots Community Grants to charities across Queensland during the pandemic,” said Gary.
“Youngcare has previously been a charity partner of ours, with Hand Heart Pocket having provided half-a-million-dollars’ worth of grants and helping more than 90 young people with high care needs to stay at home and out of inappropriate housing from 2016 to 2018.
“Youngcare provides an essential service, and we are glad we could step in and provide this extra support at a time when their community needs them the most.”