The 2013 Vodafone Foundation World of Difference program

Juliette Wright will spend her Paid Charity Leave managing GIVIT in Brisbane.

GIVIT.org.au is a website that enables people to donate everyday items directly to those in need. GIVIT actively supports over 790 of Australia’s most trusted charities and by matching and connecting them to willing donors of everyday items.

Juliette has three main goals to make a World of Difference. She will launch a new initiative called GIVIT Kids which will promote philanthropy in youth to allow kids to donate things like their music or sport equipment to vulnerable, impoverished and isolated Australian children. She is also going to focus on fundraising to manage sustainable growth of GIVIT and finally will also work with the Vodafone team to design and build a mobile app that will assist in the speed and quality of goods that the public can offer to those in need.

Loren O’Keeffe will spend her Paid Charity Leave establishing the Missing Persons Advocacy Network (MPAN), based in Melbourne.

MPAN will create awareness for Missing Persons in Australia and offer practical support to families with missing loved ones, so that this serious community issue can finally have the attention it deserves. 

Loren's brother Dan went missing in 2011, and having run the 'Dan Come Home' campaign since then, she knows how crucial public assistance is. The community support for Dan did result in a confirmed sighting, so she’s determined to enable other families of Missing Persons to implore the public so that they too can have warranted hope they’re not alone in their search.

Loren’s goal is to create a user-friendly web guide of what to do when someone goes missing, including downloadable templates for posters and media releases. She also plans to secure partnerships with corporate organisations and a variety of news outlets to provide a new communications platform to support the families of the 35,000 Australians who go missing every year.

Ian Davis will spend his Paid Charity Leave working for the MND and Me Foundation in Melbourne. (www.mndandme.com.au)

The MND and Me Foundation was formed to raise awareness of Motor Neurone Disease (MND) and its impact in the community. The foundation saw the desperate need to assist people living with MND and their families to maintain their independence and quality of life for as long as possible.

Ian has an incredible and inspiring story, he was diagnosed with MND in 2011 and has decided to dedicate his remaining years to pushing MND into the limelight, by raising awareness and much needed funds to help find a cure to this cruel and relentless disease.

His goal is to raise a million dollars through some innovative fundraising events; these include cycling one million metres from Brisbane to Sydney in a custom designed recumbent bike with the Founder of MND and Me, Scott Sullivan. He will also expand the reach of his home brew recipe ‘Cavalier Courage’ beer, and also hopes to release a feature length documentary called ‘Legacy: A Ride to Conquer MND’, which will capture Ian’s incredible life of living with MND, as well as his and Scott's adventures on the ‘Million Metres for MND’ bike ride.

Jackie Ruddock will spend her Paid Charity Leave as the first employee for The Social Outfit. (http://thesocialoutfit.org)

The Social Outfit will establish itself as a new fashion label, shop and café in Sydney's Inner West that provides education, skills and employment for young refugees and promotes the rich creativity of our refugee communities.

Jackie's goals are to bring her start-up strategy to life and open up the doors to The Social Outfit during her Paid Charity leave year. Her focus will be to develop the skills and talents of the young people from refugee backgrounds to create a local brand as well as to develop their education and employment opportunities.