Support Stories
St John's Care would like to thank the individuals, parishes, social groups, and organisations who support us throughout the year. It is through your generous support that we are able to make a positive impact in the lives of so many. Below are some examples of the support we receive from the community.
Koottukaaree
July 11: Koottukaaree is a voluntary organisation founded in 2020 to support women from the South Indian state of Kerala residing in Canberra and Queanbeyan. The name Koottukaaree translates to “friend” in Malayalam, the language of Kerala. Guided by the motto “We care, we share, and we inspire,” the organisation is dedicated to fostering friendship, empowering its members, and promoting active community engagement. Its initiatives include wellness programs, cultural and social events, as well as charitable activities in both Australia and India.
Earlier this week, the Koottukaaree group delivered two carloads of food and pantry essentials to St John’s Care. We are incredibly grateful for their generous contribution, which enables us to continue supporting individuals and families in the Canberra community.
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Radford College - Winter Warmers
June 25: A massive shoutout to the incredible students, staff and families of Radford College for running their Warm Winter food and clothing drive for St John’s Care! Thanks to their generosity, two full van loads of warm clothes and pantry staples were delivered to us — enough to support approximately 300 households with emergency relief.
Your kindness has made a huge impact on our shelves and in our community. We are deeply grateful for your ongoing support and compassion.
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Canberra City Farm
June 24: We had a visit from the Canberra City Farm who regularly donate fresh fruit and vegetables for our clients.
The fresh produce we receive from Canberra City Farm goes straight into the hands of people accessing our service each day. Many of the individuals and families we support are experiencing significant financial hardship, and sadly, fresh fruit and vegetables are often the first things they forgo when money becomes tight.
Thanks to Canberra City Farm, we’re able to offer our clients healthy, nutritious food—something that not only nourishes their bodies, but also restores a sense of dignity during a tough time. The feedback we receive is overwhelmingly positive. Clients frequently comment on how incredibly fresh the produce is—often fresher than what they can afford at the supermarket.
As demand for our service grows and the cost of fresh food continues to rise, the support from Canberra City Farm has become more vital than ever. Their generous contribution helps us get fresh, garden-grown produce directly to the people who need it most. We are deeply grateful for their ongoing support—and so are our clients
Canberra Airport Group and The Snow Foundation
July 23: The Canberra Airport Group and The Snow Foundation have been long term supporters of SJC. They recently attended our Centre to assist us with unpacking donations, stacking shelves, and constructing our new vegetables gardens.
Governor General Visit
July 15th: We were thrilled to welcome the Governor-General of Australia to our Centre. Her Excellency spoke with staff, volunteers, and clients, restacked our shelves, and donated pantry items. She was kind, compassionate and humble, and showed she genuinely cared for the community.
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We would like to thank Her Excellency and her staff for their visit and their support - it is greatly appreciated!
Bruce Super Convenience Store
May 22nd: Unfortunately Bruce Super Convenience store closed their shopfront over the weekend, however, Dejan and the team are busy moving their stock to a warehouse and will continue operating online.
St John's Care would like to sincerely thank Dejan who donated 1000's of dollars worth of food and other pantry items to us. His generosity and kindness means so much to us, and those who we are supporting in the community.
Elizabeth
May 6th: Meet Elizabeth. for her 9th birthday, Elizabeth asked her friends and family to provide her with pantry items instead of gifts so that she could donate the items to those in need. Today, Elizabeth visited the Centre to drop off the items.
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We would like to sincerely thank Elizabeth for her support and wish her all the best for her future, her supports means the world to us!