SANTA DID NOT COME FOR STEWIE LAST YEAR

Now in its 76th year, Stewart House has a proud record of providing short-term respite care to thousands of children in need each year. It has survived only because of the very generous support of NSW government school teachers and school communities who have adopted Stewart House as their No 1 charity and because of the support received from many other organisations and individuals including police officers and volunteer workers.

We are extremely grateful for your ongoing support and donations and sincerely thank you.

Stewart House is unique. It consists of a government school and a statutory health corporation operating together on the one site at South Curl Curl. The statutory health corporation provides health services to the children and operates a charity.  Although school and NSW Health staff and resources are funded by their respective Departments all other costs must be funded from monies raised by the charity.

More than ever Stewart House needs your support.

In order to pay for the costs of the children’s food, their bedding, the excursions we take them on, their supervisors’ salaries and various operating costs, we must now raise $2.7 million each year. Supervisors must be employed to care for the children in their dormitories overnight and to supervise them at meal times and on excursions and weekend activities.

These costs are rising continually and are not currently being met by the donations we receive.  We were faced with a shortfall in 2006 of some $50,000.  In addition, we have recently been advised, by law, we must upgrade the facilities at Stewart House to meet current fire regulations.  This upgrade must be undertaken without delay and will cost $400,000.

Stewie the Dolphin, our mascot for Stewart House, and all involved with Stewart House are naturally concerned about our financial situation and our ability to continue our services at their current level. Some ninety new children currently attend Stewart House every fortnight during school terms.  They come from government schools all across NSW and the ACT.

We really do need your further support.

We ask all teachers, school staff and education administrative staff who are not already contributing to Stewart House by means of the Salary Contribution Scheme to seriously consider joining this scheme.  By doing so you will share the joy our present contributors receive by knowing they are helping children less fortunate than others.  You will also be supporting your DET colleagues who work tirelessly at Stewart House.  All donations are tax deductible.

We ask all schools and school communities to organise special fundraising activities for Stewart House.  We will acknowledge, as we have always done, outstanding fundraising efforts at our Annual Presentation Ceremony and we will record all donations in our Annual Report.

We ask all those in Health administration to consider making donations to Stewart House. The health screenings and preventative health care provided by NSWHealth and the School of Optometry, University of NSW professionals at Stewart House are vital in the holistic approach taken to helping our children in need.

We know there are many organisations and individuals who appreciate the wonderful work done by Stewart House and we ask them all to consider whether they can assist, for example, with the costs of the fire upgrade.

Thank you for your support.  The Board of Directors and all the staff at Stewart House, including Stewie, wish you, your families and your friends a very happy  and successful year.

 

Bill Hamilton
Chairperson

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