Stand Like Stone

Courage & Kindness

Message from our CEO, Anne Kerr

I don’t know how you set your goals, but every Monday morning the office team and I sit down over a coffee and work out what we need to achieve for the week ahead.

What can often seem like an overwhelming list of goals at the start of the week, ends up giving us a really good sense of achievement each Friday.

I’ve recently celebrated my 6-month anniversary with Stand Like Stone, and as I look back, I realise it’s those small weekly goals that have helped us make such a positive and meaningful impact in our community.

I’m in awe of just how much the team achieves. And by team, I mean the whole Stand Like Stone team, from our Board to the office crew, our committee members, volunteers, grant and scholarships applicants, donor and sponsor partners. It’s this teamwork and shared passion for the people and projects of the Limestone Coast that has enabled us to deliver on our mission and keep building on the generosity of spirit within our community for lasting impact.

It is with sadness that I also share the news that one of our Patrons, and great supporter of the Limestone Coast, Mr Ray Scott, recently passed away. Ray was a valued Patron and benefactor of the Foundation and his interest and understanding of the principles of philanthropy were valued by our Board and by all the community. We mourn Ray’s passing.

Finally, our thoughts are with our community as we continue to face the impacts of Covid-19. We’re proud of being able to help with our recent Covid-19 response program, purchasing $50 food vouchers from local businesses, and distributing them to people in need.

We’re delighted to be currently managing a $10,000 grant program from one of our local Councils, the District Council of Grant, which is designed specifically to help their communities through Covid-19. Along with our grants and scholarships opening up again in the middle of this month, we are looking forward to seeing more projects get off the ground to help our community.

As always, our newsletter gives us the opportunity to share stories of kindness and courage from our region, and I hope wherever you are reading it, you, and the people you care about are safe and well.

Vale Ray Scott

Patron of the Stand Like Stone Foundation

Ray was a valued Patron, benefactor, and great supporter of the Stand Like Stone Foundation.

An icon of the transport industry and passionate supporter of our region, he was well respected and well known for being honest, hard-working, and generous in so many ways.

He was appointed as our Patron in 2009, and has always been generous with his time, and with his support of the Foundation. His interest and understanding of the principles of philanthropy were valued by our Board and by the community.

He will be sorely missed, and we offer our sincere condolences to Jill Scott and the Scott Family on Ray’s passing.

OneFortyOne Community Capacity Building Grants awarded: Injecting $50,000 into the Limestone Coast

As a result of this year’s $50,000 round, more than $200,000 has now been provided to vital community projects in the Limestone Coast over the past 6 years, thanks to our funding partnership with OneFortyOne. This year’s recipients are:

Padthaway Primary School/Preschool

With a grant of $6,000 this project will support the Padthaway community with crucial fire-fighting equipment, including an emergency water tank, fire hose and reel, building community capacity for future fire seasons.

Youth Opportunities Association (SA) Inc.

$15,000 was granted to part fund the delivery of 4 personal leadership programs to 72 students who may be experiencing disadvantage or disengagement from Millicent High School, Allendale East Area School, Grant High School and Mount Gambier High School. This project not only builds capacity in the 72 young people who participate, but positively impacts the wider community as these young people develop the skills to create a future where challenges do not limit their success.

Foodbank South Australia Incorporated (Limestone Coast Branch)

$3,000 was granted to help Foodbank Limestone Coast with their pilot ‘Home Hamper Delivery Program’. With Covid-19 increasing the need for access to food relief across the region, Foodbank is adapting its distribution model to meet the changing face of hunger. This project will help Foodbank build capacity in its own distribution model and see food hampers distributed free of charge to the most vulnerable in the community.

Operation Flinders

$16,500 was granted to the Operation Flinders 2020 Exercise Program, which transforms young people’s lives through their participation in a world leading, evidence-based outback intervention program. The grant will enable 10 young people from the Limestone Coast who are identified as being “at risk” to participate. This project not only builds capacity in the students who participate but has significant positive outcomes for the student’s wider communities.

The South East Junction, Mental Health Activity and Resource Centre

$9,500 was granted to provide a resilience training program encouraging people to grow and thrive in the face of challenges, so they can bounce back from adversity, bounce forward when there is opportunity and build purpose and strength. This timely project will help build community capacity through improved resilience whilst facing the Covid-19 pandemic.

Stand Like Stone Small Grant Round: Community giving supports 8 new charitable projects

Thanks to the kindness and generosity from everyday philanthropists who’ve established sub funds within the Stand Like Stone Foundation, 8 new projects in Bordertown, Kingston, Lucindale, Mount Gambier and Penola have been supported in the recent small grants round.

For the Penola Coonawarra Wellbeing Sub Fund, a grant to the Penola PA & H Society to assist the Show update its computer software, helped deliver their philanthropic objectives.

Stand Like Stone Director, and Penola representative Rhett McDonald said “The Penola Coonawarra Wellbeing Sub Fund was established to give grants to charitable projects that benefit the greater Penola Coonawarra region, and we were delighted to be able to help the Show Society”.

Grants were also made to a “Mural Project” at Mount Gambier High School from the Lorry Humphreys Sub Fund, established to support the arts and trades. The School also received a grant for a “Collaborative Learning Centre Community Engagement” project which was supported by the Focis on Youth Sub Fund, for projects with educational outcomes focussed on youth.

The Naracoorte Lucindale Community Care Network received a grant for a “Building Blocks” project to support the migrant community with their English skills. The project was supported by the Naracoorte & Districts Sub Fund which gives to charitable projects benefiting the greater Naracoorte region.

The Stand Like Stone Foundation also supported four projects, two in the Tatiara region, for the Bordertown & District Agriculture Museum’s new mezzanine floor and display room, as well a “Sewing Room” project for the Tatiara Multicultural Group.

The Kingston Community School received a grant for its “Rethink Waste Project”, and a grant was given to support the Mount Gambier Community Christmas Day Lunch.

Select Committee enquiry into Regional Australia: Advocating changes to tax laws to help better support the Limestone Coast

Our Chair, Bill DeGaris was recently one of the witnesses at a Parliamentary Select Committee enquiry into Regional Australia, chaired by Member for Barker, Tony Pasin MP.

Along with our other community foundation partners, we urged the House Select Committee to change the game for regional communities by supporting Deductible Gift Recipient (DGR 1) status for community foundations. The current Deductible Gift Recipient regime is a significant barrier to not only delivering funding for charitable projects in regional areas, but to also receiving funds from other philanthropic bodies to benefit the region.

“We often find ourselves unable to support smaller and very worthwhile local charitable projects, because we don’t have the necessary DGR 1 tax status, despite being a registered charity. This is incredibly frustrating not only for us, but for the many not for profit groups working to support the Limestone coast, who can’t access these philanthropic funds easily”, said Mr DeGaris.

The House Committee heard that a clear pathway to DGR1 endorsement for community foundations would increase resilience and regional community wellbeing by better meeting urgent community needs, address longer-term demands, and create better emergency response and mitigation in ways that are built for a specific place and the needs of its people.

“We can’t thank Tony Pasin enough for his support of this issue and would like to continue working with him and ask the Select Committee to specifically recommend community foundations be granted DGR 1 status to further enhance the viability of community foundations in regional Australia”, said Mr DeGaris.

Streaming with the Stars 2020: Robe Mayor Alison Nunan crowned winner

Following the cancellation of our major fundraiser, Swinging with the Stars, we decided to do things a little differently and hold a virtual community event instead.

We invited people to learn the “jive” through an online lesson from Kim Cella at Hype Dance Studio, film themselves dancing and upload it to our website, and asked the community to vote for this year’s People’s Choice winner.

We had some terrific entries, with people dancing with their pet cat, their baby, their children, in a pine forest, on a jetty and out on the farm.

The community votes came in and with a landslide, the Mayor of the District Council of Robe, Alison Nunan, was crowned this year’s People’s Choice winner. Her dance moves were amazing as she danced on the Robe jetty with a lobster for a partner.

The judges also awarded a prize to one of the original 2020 stars, Port MacDonnell’s Randall Jones and his daughter Evie for their brilliant dancing too.

The District Council of Robe Council have been a long-time sponsor of Stand Like Stone, and we can’t thank them enough for their ongoing support, as well as having a wonderful mayor who has some serious dance moves!