A large number of rural and regional communities across Australia experienced the worst droughts in decades. The 2019 grant program focused on programs designed to improve the nutritional, physical, social and mental well-being of young people in regional and rural areas.

The Foundation committed $700,000AUD in grants ranging from $30,000 AUD to $75,000 AUD for projects addressing areas of regional and rural youth disadvantage including:

• access to educational, arts and sports programs

• mentoring and mental health counselling

• medical services and facilities

• access to fresh food and better nutrition

• experiences outside the community via excursions and camps

Recipients of these grants were

• Batyr Australia – Being Herd Workshops and Facilitator Training

• Country Education Foundation – Outward Bound Experience ACT

• Dymocks Literacy Foundation – Library Regeneration Literacy Program

• Eat Up Australia – Lunchtime Food Relief Program

• Girl Guides QLD– STEAM State Camp

• Leeuwin Ocean Adventure Foundation- Program Support

• Little Wings – 2019-2020 Flight Program

• Operation Flinders – Camperships program

• Pathways Foundation Youth-related Counselling and Mental Health Services

• Redkite – Support for Children and Young People with Cancer from Regional and Rural Australia

• Royal Far West – Mental Health Support Program

• Rural Health Tasmania – 7UP Youth Workers

• The Carers Foundation – Rural and Regional Young Carers Resilience and Inspiration Program

• YWCA – Youth Mentoring Program

In addition to this regional program, the Foundation supported OzHarvest’s launch of its Food Education and Sustainability Training (FEAST) program into regional schools. FEAST is aimed at empowering school-aged students to be change-makers in their communities by improving their nutritional literacy, food waste awareness, and environmental responsiveness.