HELPING HAND
A CONNECTION TO THE LAND DRIVES JULIETTE WRIGHT TO SUPPORT RURAL COMMUNITIES THROUGH HER NOT-FOR-PROFIT ORGANISATION, GIVIT.
Juliette Wright, the founder of Givit, on working to support rural communities in need.
WHEN JULIETTE AND GLEN WRIGHT arrive at The Plains, their 526-hectare property in Ebor in northern NSW, Glen immediately goes down the paddock to check on the cattle while Juliette wanders through daffodils, camellias and crabapple in the garden. The Wrights will soon put 1450 females with 25 Wagyu bulls that have been sourced from Sher Wagyu and Mayura Station in Victoria to breed calves. The Plains is a world away from the couple’s life in Samford on the outskirts of Brisbane with their children Sara, 11, and Hudson, 10. Juliette is the founder and chief executive officer of Givit, a not-for-profit organisation that matches donated items to those with specific needs, and spends her days talking with charities and government agencies, or working in the Bowen Hills headquarters. Juliette and Glen share a connection to the land, albeit on different sides of the world. Glen, 48, grew up near Warwick and Juliette’s early years were spent in Brisbane and at her mother’s family dairy farm in Ireland’s County Monaghan. “The Plains reminds me of Ireland and I don’t think it’s a coincidence — I feel connected and grounded here, like I belong,” says the 45-year-old. The former naturopath established Givit in 2009 after she struggled to find a way to donate Hudson’s baby clothes to someone in need. She discovered that charities were often inundated with donations that didn’t include specific items that people desperately needed, such as work boots, underwear and toiletries. To help, Juliette set up Givit, an online portal that gives charities and agencies the opportunity to request items that meet the needs of underprivileged Australians and allows donors to see what’s needed as well as list items they want to give away. The ‘virtual warehouse’ platform quickly grew into an nationwide network and the Givit Disaster Recovery Service assisted the Queensland Government with the 2011 floods. The organisation has had more than 820,000 donations and Juliette was awarded Australia’s Local Hero in the Australian of the Year Awards in 2015. Juliette understands the challenges of drought-affected farmers and Givit has partnered with the NSW Government to deliver essential goods and services as well as support to businesses by buying local vouchers in rural communities. “We find out what is needed, then purchase those items locally. Eighty per cent of businesses are laying off people so they are at risk, too,” she explains. “You have farmers who were prepared for this type of event, but the price of fodder is so high and it’s a really unusual event. It’s an honour to be directly involved in helping people and part of the solution; that’s what I enjoy.” For more information, visit givit.org.au
JULIETTE I grew up in Brisbane but my mother is Irish, so we’d go back regularly to Donaghmoyne, her little town near Carrickmacross. Her family had a dairy farm, so cigarettes, diesel, cow poo and apple pie were the smell of my childhood. I am extremely close to my family in Ireland and I miss them on a daily basis. My mum and dad are very community minded. My dad is a GP who is committed to working 15 hours a week but actually works 40, but he just gives and gives, and never gets burnt out. My family in Ireland are very similar to that — it doesn’t matter if someone is a stranger or a member of their family, they make sure they’re okay. After school and travel, I studied nutrition and naturopathy. Before I had my children, I helped people suffering from autoimmune diseases, allergies and cancer. Givit is one of the toughest things I’ve ever done; it’s never been done in the world and there was no funding for something like it. I struggled for the first five years and could not have done it without the support of my husband. It was completely built on volunteer hours and there’s not one friend or business colleague who hasn’t helped me. We’ve had 820,000 donations and that success is built on the generosity of Australians. We have a great team who want to make sure the most vulnerable and impoverished Australians get what they need. Charities and government agencies do such phenomenal work, but the fact is they can’t provide people with the simple things they need — like a washing machine or a fridge or closed-in work boots. My goal is for Givit to be well known Australia-wide and to be the first thing people think of when they do the spring clean. Because drought is not considered a natural disaster, the model for Givit had to change slightly. I realised that if we were to go into a town and ask >
people to donate goods, or if we brought in a truck full of great donations, we would damage the local economy. The local shops are already struggling. Donations can do great good but, during drought, cash is king. Our team is consulting with drought agencies and community service providers as well as meeting with local schools, pastors and community groups. They can request items on behalf of their community. A lot of people have put their hands up for help, but there are also proud Aussies in droughtaffected communities who are really struggling — they need to connect with an organisation in their local community and tell them what they need. We can help in a real way and get them back on their feet. We heard about a farmer who was feeding his dogs over feeding himself, and we immediately sent dog food. It was requested by a local charity, and we purchased it locally with vouchers from the community and had it delivered. For those who come forward, privacy is sacrosanct. We have a fantastic relationship with a flying pastor — he goes out to farms, shares stories, and we give him vouchers for food and fuel. The Royal Flying Doctor Service is also helping us distribute vouchers. We need to remind both donors and the general public that when it rains, it’s not the end of suffering for farmers who may not have stock left or have to consider alternate income streams. We have to support drought-affected communities to ensure long-term recovery — it will take two to three years at least to get them back into a position of strength.