Andrew McKenzie, General Manager, Marketing and Fundraising, St Vincent de Paul Society Victoria

Early in the COVID-19 pandemic Jemena engaged with Vinnies Victoria as part of our ongoing partnership for input and feedback on the best way Jemena could help community members in the Jemena Electricity Network during these challenging times. They listened to our feedback on how to communicate with vulnerable members of the community and were open to trying new ideas to better support the community.

The need for education assistance became a priority for families who faced challenges home-schooling their children when schools closed across Victoria. One of the ways they made an important and tangible difference was by donating more than 100 recycled laptops. One great example of how this support provided immediate and tangible assistance was when two of these laptops were donated to a family with three young girls who had all been using their mum’s phone to access their online learning. If it wasn’t for this donation, we wouldn’t have been able to provide the laptops and – together -  we’ve been able to assist them to continue their education.  

We had worked closely with Jemena prior to COVID-19 and will continue to work together to support our community in 2021.