A legacy of love

Leaving as little as 1% of your estate can change the lives of so many vulnerable people around the world. 

There are people facing dire humanitarian need, and those whose families and communities are stuck in an endless cycle of poverty they did not create. 

Your gift could help a family living in a border town of Ukraine who has been forced, because of military action, to flee with the few belongings they can carry.

Arriving in a new community, they are lost with no money, nowhere to live, no job, or no school for their children. They are so grateful that Caritas is there offering them hot food, helping them find a home, and providing their children with supplies to support their schooling. 

This helps the family weather years of war as they wait for peace. 

Your support could provide necessities to a mother in Samoa, who is struggling to wash and hydrate her children because half of Samoa’s population does not have access to clean drinking water. 

Instead, she collects rainwater in old fridges, but when the rain does not come, her children stay home as there is no water at school either, leaving their mother worried for their health and education. 

This changes when Caritas provides a water tank ensuring consistent access to clean water. Her children can now go to school every day and look forward to brighter futures. 

Both examples are real. They are examples of what happens when people and communities are facing challenging times and when a Caritas organisation steps in. 

Usually the problem is big, but very often one small solution, like a school bag, a water tank, or a bowl of hot food served with compassion, can help.  

Caritas Australia sets itself apart from others in that its helpers are in communities long after any disaster, as part of one of the world’s largest aid and development organisations, Caritas Internationalis.  

This network is made up of 162 national organisations operating in more than 200 countries across the world. It enables Caritas to support communities before, during, and after a crisis. 

This is true in Gaza, in Ukraine, and in Sudan where conflict rages. It is true in the Pacific where natural disasters are destroying communities. It is true in the Horn of Africa where droughts and floods continue to cause the most enduring hunger crisis of our time, and in Northeast India and Bangladesh where some of the world’s largest refugee camps are situated. 

In the past year, funds raised by Caritas Australia have supported more than a million people, with development programs across 23 countries and emergency responses across 24.  

You might consider supporting this work as part of your will. 

To find out more, please click the link, or reach out to our Gifts in Wills specialist on 0438 530 908 or email legacyoflove@caritas.org.au