You decide the amount and we’ll make the most of it.
That’s our promise as our very first festive appeal – the BCHS Gift of Love – continues.
Until the end of December, the appeal is raising funds for three Bendigo Community Health Services’ projects that
make a practical difference to people experiencing hardship in Bendigo.
BCHS CEO Mandy Hutchinson said all appeal donations – no matter how big or small – send a beautiful message that Bendigo is a community that cares about each other.
“Community health is here for the Bendigo community,” Mandy said. “We have so many incredible teams and projects working hard to support the overwhelming need we see in our community, and we know that many challenges could be quickly overcome if we had the extra funds to meet specific needs.
“That’s why we’re asking people to do something amazing this giving season and put some of their gift budgets aside for one of our three great causes.”
You can choose from one of the following causes to make a tax-deductible donation to:
- Meeting the immediate day-to-day needs of people experiencing homelessness in Bendigo, such as wholesome meals, warm bedding or sturdy shoes.
- Supporting children to have what they need in 2026, including school uniforms, quality clothing, sports equipment and toys.
- Purchasing plants and landscaping supplies for a therapeutic garden for people receiving treatment and support for alcohol or drug dependence.
“Donating as little as $5 will buy someone experiencing homelessness a cup of coffee,” Mandy said. “A contribution of $50 will buy some native plants for our therapeutic garden, or $100 will provide a newly-arrived refugee child with a school uniform to begin their education in Bendigo in 2026.
“Whatever the amount, we will make the most of it to make a difference to the life of someone doing it tough.”
Mandy said in return, donors will receive a tax receipt, a social media tile to share if they wish, and a certificate to print and keep or gift to a loved one so they know a Gift of Love has been passed on in their name for Christmas.
“Simply make your choice, then make an easy, secure online donation of any dollar amount you like to make a wonderful gift of love,” Mandy said.
Case study: Jane’s road with InRoads
Jane* first sought the help of the BCHS InRoads team in September 2024 at the Bendigo Library.
With a history of trauma, homelessness and a life-changing diagnosis that left her with chronic anxiety, she made it clear the only help she was willing to accept was non health related.
When our InRoads Community Connector first met Jane it had been 18 months since her last health appointment. Her main needs at the time were regular access to food and hygiene products and safety planning. Our Community Connector began the fragile task of building trust, letting Jane set the pace to the interactions with her.
The aim was always to make sure Jane felt comfortable, heard, validated and safe.
In this environment it was possible to give Jane the basics in life and eventually move towards receiving medical care again for her complex health needs.
Change has come in its own time, but there is a notable difference for Jane now, thanks to the careful and considered support from her Community Connector.
It’s the gentle reminders, the warm cuppa on a cold morning or a nutrient-rich ‘up and go’ before an appointment that makes all the difference. It’s the ability to sit with someone until their nerves are settled enough to walk into the appointment. For Jane, it’s in the calls to the services before an appointment to discuss her situation and find alternative options to sitting in the waiting room.
It’s in the way Jane presents herself now, taking the lead in her own health appointments instead of relying on someone else to speak for her. It’s knowing she has an advocate she can trust to step in to de-escalate incidents when her expressions of fear or pain are misinterpreted.
Improving health care access for those at risk of, or experiencing, homelessness is what the InRoads team do. The work is opportunistic, but the impacts are viscerally felt by all says Program Lead Clare Woods.
“Jane is one of many people we are working with,” she says. “We are all about meeting people where they’re at.
“Community Connector Karl Quast said to me, ‘I once offered a gentleman a place to sit and talk. He accepted. When he spoke, there was presence of psychotic phenomena, disordered thinking and delusions. I had no idea what to say so I just listened attentively. After a long while he made the remark: ‘I don’t even know what I’m talking about but it’s nice to have someone sit and listen’.
“I think that sums up just one part of our work beautifully.”
*Jane’s name has been changed to protect her privacy.
December 11, 2025