Sacred Heart Mission

In St. Kilda the Sacred Heart Mission's Women's House received no government funding and is a wonderful source of support for many women in need in the area. Each Christmas we organise a Christmas party with all our members and ask them to bring a gift for a boy or a girl and we donate them (a truckload!) to the Women's House for the children of the women. We also call them each Christmas and ask what they need this year. Sometimes it's white goods, sometimes it's computers. We've donated ipads, a veranda, TV's...

For more information visit: www.sacredheartmission.org/

The Coaching Institute has since received an astounding thankyou letter from this amazing foundation. The gratitude and happiness of those we helped truly warms the soul. Click here to view the gracious thankyou letter

Animals Asia

The bile farming industry in China is legal and it's horrific. Moon bears are trapped for life in coffin sized caged and milked for their bile. They live in agony. It's a confronting reality which makes fund raising difficult. Exactly the type of cause we want to help! Each time there are bears that can be rescued, we donate the funds to make this happen. We have also funded flying in a specialist vet for surgery to save some bears. There are still 10,000 bears to rescue. Lots to be done!

For more information visit: www.animalsasia.org/

Stepping Stones Nigeria

In Nigeria children are accused of being witches and bringing bad luck to a village. They are ostracized from their family and friends and can never go back. We funded an educational film for villagers to watch explaining how they are not witches and recently our members contributed $10,000, which we matched, and we donated a total of $20,000 to buy a school bus so the orphaned children can get to school.

For more information visit: www.steppingstonesnigeria.org

Sharon Pearson taking notes on what's needed in the school building

Maasai Education

Whilst touring Kenya in 2012, Sharon and John Pearson visited a Maasai village and met the Chief who showed them the 'school' - a corrugated iron shed with a few desks. Sharon is currently arranging with the tour group they traveled with, Wildlife Safaris to deliver school materials to this village and others so the children can receive an education.

The Coach Project

In Australia family violence refers to violence perpetrated by a range of family or community members by comparison domestic violence refers to violence perpetrated by a male partner towards woman. Economic abuse is also referred to as economic control, economic deprivation, economic violence, financial abuse or financial control. Economic abuse is a form of family and domestic violence involving behaviors that negatively affect a person’s finances and undermine that person’s efforts to become economically independent. For example an elderly person or someone with an illness or disability may experience economic abuse perpetrated by a carer. As you would know family and domestic violence is consistent with patterns of coercive control.

Research findings indicate that economic abuse is experienced in conjunction with other forms of violence including social isolation. Funding provided by The Coaching Institute will enable a new initiative called the Coach Project.

The Coach Project will be collaboration between The Salvation Army Crossroads Family and Domestic Violence Service in partnership with The Thornburg Women’s Neighborhood House Discussion will also occur with the Coburg branch of the Bendigo Bank to identify the role that they too will play in this project.

The aim of the Coach project will be to provide educational opportunities to reduce social isolation and enhance economic independence. The Coach Project will provide women living in family violence refuge accommodation an opportunity to access a supportive, safe and experiential learning environment.

• Childcare will be available for those women who are only in refuge for a week or two.

• Interpreters will be accessed as required.

• The women will be able to review budgeting, further understand banking products, and find out the full extent of financial support available in the community.

• Women will also have the opportunity to spend time with others who are in similar circumstances.

• The group will be small to enable communication and individual attention.

The Coaching Institute is very pleased to be supporting such an important initiative.