For many Australians living with disability or in care, life is lived on the edge of ‘just enough’. Enough to get by. Enough to pay for essentials. Enough to survive week to week.
But what about joy? What about belonging, adventure, dignity… what about living?
A weekend away with family. Tickets to see a favourite band live. A visit to a distant cultural site or ancestral Country. These are the kinds of experiences that bring meaning and connection – but for many locals living with disability, they remain out of reach due to the financial and logistical challenges involved.
“The NDIS doesn’t cover cost-of-living expenses or leisure travel – only supports that are directly tied to a person’s disability,” explains MADEC CEO Jasmine Lowry.
“For someone living on a disability pension, even a small outing or purchasing a coffee can mean going without something else.
“That’s why this End of Financial Year, we’re asking the Mackay and Whitsundays community to consider donating — because your support can be the difference between just getting by and truly experiencing life.”
For over 50 years, MADEC has stood beside those in the community who often go without. A local not-for-profit organisation and registered NDIS provider, MADEC has been delivering youth and disability supports across the Mackay and Whitsunday region since 1973.
Recognised as a Public Benevolent Institution since 2014, MADEC is also a licensed Child Safety Provider and a trusted partner for those navigating the complexities of support systems.
With the help of community donations, the organisation brings hope to life – not just in theory, but in practice.
“One young woman we support has a rare and aggressive form of Multiple Sclerosis and had never been on a family holiday,” Jasmine shared.
“But with support from local partners, we were able to send Abby, her son, and her family to the Big 4 at Airlie Beach.
“Big 4 Adventure Whitsunday generously donated a deluxe accessible cabin, and Ma’s Pizza donated $500 spending money.
“It might not seem like much to some, but to her it was everything… a moment she dreamed of experiencing before entering palliative care.”
In another moving example of their life-changing support, MADEC provided funding to help a First Nations man fulfil his lifelong wish to find his mother’s grave.
“Andrew’s mother was part of the Stolen Generation,” Jasmine explained.
“We were able to help him reclaim his name, locate her burial site, and we’re now working on the logistics to get him there.
“These aren’t simple trips – there’s significant case management involved – but this means everything to Andrew, so we’re making it happen.”
To continue funding experiences like these, MADEC is calling on the local community to consider making a tax-deductible donation this End of Financial Year.
As a Deductible Gift Recipient (DGR), all donations over $2 are tax-deductible, making it easy to give back as the end of the financial year approaches.
“Workplace giving is another simple way to show your support, but it goes a long way,” Jasmine affirmed.
“Employees can nominate a small amount from each pre-tax pay, with 100% of those funds going directly to people like Abby and Andrew.
“It helps us plan bigger goals and accomplish long-term dreams.”
Because when everyday luxuries feel out of reach, your small act of giving could be the thing that helps someone truly live again.
Here's how your donation can help transform lives:
• $5 gives young people and persons with a disability a helping hand when they need it most
• $50 provides art, sporting, and learning equipment to youth and people with disabilities for hobbies, leisure, and social wellbeing
• $500 provides a weekend retreat, experience, or adventure that would otherwise be inaccessible
• $5,000 helps MADEC launch new programs to support the life skills of at-risk youth and people with disabilities
Visit madec.org.au/donate to donate today or speak to your payroll officer to set up workplace giving in your organisation!
Andrew recently travelled to Adelaide to fulfil his lifelong wish of finding his mother’s grave, who was part of the Stolen Generation.
Abby, living with a rare and aggressive form of Multiple Sclerosis, experienced her first-ever family holiday, staying in a deluxe accessible cabin at Big4 Adventure Whitsunday and enjoying $500 in spending money - thanks to MADEC and local partners. Photos supplied
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