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Legislative Council - Fifty-Fourth Parliament, Second Session (54-2)
2021-10-27 Daily Xml
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KickStart For Kids

The Hon. C. BONAROS (15:39): Today, I want to speak about a truly inspirational organisation led by an equally inspirational South Australian who has made it his mission to help our kids in need. The organisation is KickStart For Kids and its founder is Ian Steel. He is a humble bloke who, after recognising a direct correlation between behaviour, impaired learning and hunger through his mentoring of schoolchildren experiencing hardship, founded KickStart For Kids in 2011.

A decade later, KickStart supports in excess of 350 schools, with the invaluable assistance of over 600 equally selfless volunteers. They provide over 50,000 breakfasts and 10,000 lunches to schoolkids in SA each and every week. More recently, they have joined the Period Poverty campaign, providing period products to schools across the state. That is 15,000 kids who would have gone hungry otherwise and I am really pleased that he has joined the Period Poverty campaign.

I first met Ian at the new KickStart headquarters near the Airport earlier this year. For anyone who has met him, it is clear he is on a mission—a mission to make the lives of South Australian kids doing it tough just that little bit easier. He does things the government should, with very limited funding on their part, but he does not dwell on this. As he said to me on the day I met him at the warehouse, 'I'm a doer, Connie. I don't wait for the government. I see a problem and I just fix it. I get it done.'

He relies on the good people of Adelaide to help with his mission, with the support of some amazing corporate partners who make regular donations to the breakfast and lunch programs of essential products such as cereal, fruit, milk and eggs, and also now sanitary products for the Period Poverty campaign.

Not only does KickStart step in where needed in terms of meals, it also runs mentoring programs. Hundreds of disadvantaged kids attend KickStart For Kids camps every year. These kids do not ordinarily look forward to school holidays like other kids. It gives them a chance to be surrounded by positive role models, whilst also participating in fun activities like swimming, visiting the zoo or attending a 36ers game. Kids attending school camps have the opportunity to have a haircut and pick out some new clothes and other items they need from pop-up shops set up by camp organisers. The camps are staffed by volunteers and funded by generous donors.

A few months ago, Variety SA presented KickStart with a cheque for $42,000. That was enough money to send 300 kids on a five-day camp. Last year, South Australian company Codan donated the $62,000 it raised at its inaugural golf day. It is heartening to see so many South Australian businesses doing their bit to help this much-needed cause and of course these very important little people.

Sponsors who regularly answer the call to action help with fundraising events, venues, marketing campaigns, wineries, caterers, media personalities and retailers. The most recent was the launch of the Period Poverty campaign, which I mentioned, in June. As members would be aware, this is one that is particularly dear to my heart, as it is to the Hon. Irene Pnevmatikos. On that day itself, KickStart raised over $60,000 for its campaign. I may have purchased a few generously donated auction items myself and also similarly donated some items.

A few weeks ago, I was fortunate enough to dine with some guests here at Parliament House who were willing to pay to have lunch with me as an auction prize. I would have done it for nothing. A major sponsor National Pharmacies also joined that campaign. They have placed a donation bin in every one of their stores across the state. The products collected, in addition to the at-cost or free products National Pharmacies has been able to secure, are now delivered to schoolgirls in need all over the state. Schools requiring products simply log on to the KickStart website and order what they need.

Given the miniscule offerings of the government to provide these products to schoolgirls, once again a charity has needed to step in. I urge all honourable members, if they visit their local National Pharmacies, please buy an extra product and pop it in a bin because you know it will be going to a very worthy cause.

To anyone who meets Ian, it is clear he does not want any fuss, but I think it is really important that we acknowledge the work he is doing in our community and that all his volunteers are doing in our community to make the lives of kids across this state just that little bit easier.

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