I Support The Girls Australia just received a beast of a donation and it’s going to help thousands of girls and women!
Last Monday, Jane Holmes, Director of ISTG Australia, received the keys to the “BraBeast”- a van which Jane and staff will be able to use to transport products to those who need it most.
“This vehicle is a dream!” said a very happy and enthusiastic Jane. “The impact this is going to have for us is honestly immeasurable. Based on street work we conducted in the past, we know there are a lot of women we are not connecting with. They do not avail themselves of services as they do not trust them. With the van we can actually go out and connect with those on the street. This is vital to our work here.”
Here is a video of Jane (in the middle) receiving the keys to the van. To Jane’s right is local Labor MP, Meaghan Scanlon. Labor is the current ruling party in the State of Queensland. Minister De Brenni, the Sports and Housing Minister, has asked Meaghan to be ISTG Australia ‘go to support’ person.
All In One Van
The van will also make a huge difference in transporting products to events. Instead of renting a mini van, a trailer and making use of four volunteer cars, the van will be able to hold at least 4,000 bras, 2,000 pairs of underwear, toiletries and more. It also means ISTG Australia can go to remote areas, which they couldn’t do before.
The funding came from a State Government grant that is put out by the Queensland Governments Housing Department, called the Dignity First Fund. Much thanks to Mercedes Benz Gold Coast which provided a very generous discount towards the purchase of this brand new 2019 model van. Additionally, huge thanks to Andrew Alfonso of Race Graphix who donated his time and materials to brand the van!
When asked about other uses for the van, Jane noted: “We will also be working for a global agency that is involved in rescuing children from sexual exploitation on the streets. They have approached us and asked if they can come out onto the streets with us and help get these young kids off the streets. We can also service more of the support services, who do not have the space for storage. This way we can go with the van to the services and support the women via the van.”
Thanks to Jane’s hard work, thousands of girls and women will be able to maintain their dignity and self-respect.
