Sisters of Charity Foundation

Sr Leone Wittmack RSC.

We endeavour to do that by providing grants to small community groups that work to alleviate the plight of the poor. We support small frontline organisations that would otherwise be too small to attract funding from big organisations like government.

Over the years we have partnered with hundreds of small organisations to foster inclusion and support of the disadvantaged, particularly in the areas of disability, Indigenous affairs, refugees and asylum seekers, and the poor and marginalised.

The Sisters of Charity Foundation has recently started a project of funding scholarships for young women leaving foster care. The scholarships will be for nursing or teaching (these being the original missions of the Sisters of Charity in Australia).

When young people leave out-of-home care (foster care) they are generally 18 years old and they are given approximately $1500 by the state government and $1000 from the federal government to meet the costs of establishing themselves independently. Therefore, tertiary education is often beyond their reach.

Education is the key to breaking the cycle of poverty and by empowering a young woman with a vocation the community will benefit. She will have the skills to make a contribution in her community in her chosen field and be a positive role model for others. Importantly, she will also be empowered to guide her own children in worthwhile life choices.

Nuns on the Run

City 2 Surf entrant Sr Leone Wittmack RSC has a passion for walking with the vulnerable and marginalised. She believes that the Sisters of Charity Foundation has many opportunities to help such people.