Kmart Community Program 2010
The Kmart Community program is committed to building strong partnerships with individuals and organisations that will help create better lives for Australian and New Zealand families. We aim to support the issues that are important to the communities that surround our stores. Whether it is mum's health or sick children we want to help each member of the family unit.
Kmart Art of Giving school competition
The Kmart Art of Giving competition for schools is now open!
Last year over 2,000 students made their schools proud with their creative artwork submissions in the inaugural Kmart Art of Giving Competition. This year Kmart is once again hoping to award 16 primary schools across Australia with cash prizes to assist with their school improvement projects.
To enter this year, schools are invited to have their students draw, paint or create a collage about this year's artwork theme "What Does Family Mean to You?"
To find out more and to view last year's winning entries, visit the Art of Giving page here.
back to top
TLC for kids
Kmart is proud to be collecting on behalf of TLC for kids during the months of July and August. TLC for kids has been helping children and their families in hospitals for more than 12 years. In 2009 alone, TLC for kids put a smile back on the faces of more than 420,000 sick children and their families through the TLC for kids Distraction Box program.
TLC for kids introduced the Distraction Box Program to Australia in 2004 for young children undergoing medical examinations or procedures in Emergency Departments. The box contains various items to distract the child from the procedure, allowing them to relax and lessening their concentration to any pain.
100% of contributions made during this appeal will go towards funding more distraction boxes, so please show your support for TLC for kids the next time you are shopping at Kmart.
To learn more about TLC for kids, click below:
http://www.tlcforkids.org.au/
Kmart’s Coin Collection Initiative
The Women’s Hospital Appeal
Thank you to Kmart customers nationally who raised nearly $50,000 during May and June for women’s hospital foundations around Australia. These funds will help provide much needed specialist medical equipment and research into infant and women’s health.
Kmart was inspired to launch the new fund raising initiative after seeing the wonderful work the foundations did to support women who relied on additional services, like Meaghan who’s premature twins Milly Rose and Lachlan spent 365 days in special care at the Royal Women’s Hospital in Melbourne.
For more information on each of the foundations Kmart customers have assisted please click on the links below:
www.rhwfoundation.com.au (NSW)
http://www.health.qld.gov.au/rbwh/research/research_foundation.asp (QLD)
http://www.rhhresearch.tas.gov.au/about.html (TAS)
http://www.thewomens.org.au/SupportTheWomens (VIC)
http://www.wchfoundation.org.au/Default.aspx?p=1 (SA)
http://www.kemh.health.wa.gov.au/ (WA)
http://www.health.nt.gov.au/Hospitals/Royal_Darwin_Hospital/index.aspx (NT)
Kmart collects coins for kids - March & April 2010
During March and April Kmart customers raised over $60,000 for Variety, the Children’s Charity. These funds are helping Variety to provide special equipment, tuition and other practical support to children with special needs.
Six year old Hayley is one of the children to benefit from this money. She can now move around more comfortably in a specially modified wheelchair, thanks in part to money raised by Kmart customers.
Helping local kids to achieve their best is what inspired Kmart to launch the new fund raising initiative with Variety. Through donations made at coin collection boxes at local Kmart store registers customers have helped provide the gift of education and achievement for local children with special needs.
For more information on each of the state Variety offices please click on the links below:
back to top
Community Requests
Kmart recognises that the local communities around each of its stores face their own unique social challenges. With this in mind, our community program allows each store to work directly with its own community on social needs or issues that are impacting them.
Kmart stores can help with small fundraising efforts for local community groups needing assistance to tackle social issues.
To submit a request for support;
- Download the Kmart Community Request Form.
- Attached the form to a letter outlining the request (on letterhead).
- Hand the form into your nearest Kmart store.
back to top
Kmart Wishing Tree Appeal
Click here to visit the Wishing Tree page
back to top
Reporting on our community contributions
Click here to visit the LBG Australia website
"The London Benchmark Group (LBG) helps businesses to improve the measurement, management and reporting of their corporate community involvement programs. It moves beyond charitable donations to include the full range of contributions (in time, in-kind, cash) made to community causes and assesses the actual results for the community and for the business" Haystac Positive Outcomes, the LBG agents for Australia/New Zealand.
In 2008/2009 reporting year Kmart supported over 1,000 small community groups ranging from kindergartens to Rotary clubs, allowing these groups to continue their community work. The Kmart Wishing Tree Appeal collected over 400,000 gifts and $90,000 in cash that was given to our charity partners to distribute to families in need. A further $95,000 was raised through sale of Christmas wrap and gift tags and then forwarded to our charity partners.
In total our business contributed over $11.85 million of in-kind support including the contribution made by our customers, team members and suppliers. Almost 700 team members volunteered over 4,800 hours to assist with our community based programs during the year.