With the support from the Foundation, grants have been provided to The Salvation Army, Australian Red Cross and Oxfam to support communities affected by bushfires and floods. Funds have also been distributed to St Vincent De Paul, Fire Brigades and SES units. Ritchies first grant of $100,000 was to Australian Red Cross to support recovery from the 2009 Black Saturday bushfires.
Penny Sayer, Ritchies Community Benefit Coordinator, says that customers who shop at Ritchies can help to support people during natural disasters by nominating Lord Mayor’s Charitable Foundation when they register a Ritchies card or download the Ritchies Card app.
“Our customers are invited to nominate a charity as their choice to receive a percentage of their shopping bill which is then paid to the organisation. The contributions from the Ritchies Community Benefit Program are held in our Ritchies Emergency Disaster Relief Fund with the Foundation to assist with future natural disasters that occur.”
In early 2021, Ritchies Emergency Disaster Relief Fund directed funds of $36,000 towards the NSW Floods with an extra grant of $14,000 from the Foundation. Ritchies supported The Salvation Army Emergency Services teams who assisted 10 evacuation centres, and together with 315 volunteers, provided 5000 meals to impacted residents and first responders. As the emergency response transitioned to recovery, The Salvation Army personnel and volunteers assisted in distributing financial support to impacted residents.
Penny says she is grateful to those customers who nominate the Ritchies Emergency Disaster Relief Fund, “with the help of our customers we can continue to support vulnerable communities during periods of crisis and disaster.”
To find out more information about how you can support Emergency Disaster Relief Fund as a Ritchies customer, please visit: https://www.ritchies.com.au/loyalty To learn more about establishing a charitable fund account or to discuss your giving options, please contact the Development Team on 9633 0033 or online.