Impact Report

Every year we publish a full account of where support went and who it reached — here's 2025 in detail, from our board and leadership through to the programs that made a difference.

Board 2025

• Director & Founder: Trudi Shelton
• Chair: Mark Hutton
• Treasurer: Amanda Wheatley
• Secretary: Rob Stafford
• Board Member: Marg Morris
• Board Member: David Burt
• Board Member: Josie McBain
• Board Member: Jean Hewett

Message from our Chair — Mark Hutton

Four Reasons Why had a stellar year in 2025, continuing to make a meaningful difference for people in need across our community. We are proud that the majority of the funds we receive go straight back into supporting others locally. In 2025, we received $168,383.00 in income and invested $164,970.05 directly into services. We also assisted many individuals through donated goods and other support, which you'll find detailed in this report.

This is a remarkable outcome for the year — we truly believe we "punch well above our weight." This is only possible because of the generous support we receive from the wonderful community we live in, and we sincerely thank you. This report offers a glimpse into the impact your support has made.

We are fortunate to have a skilled and dedicated board who simply "get on and do the job." This year, we identified the need for two additional board members and were delighted to welcome Josie McBain and Jean Hewett following a thorough recruitment process. I thank all our hardworking board members for their ongoing commitment to our vision: "to inspire kindness and strengthen our community."

Our bi-annual fundraising luncheon will be held in May, and we hope it will once again be strongly supported — it remains our most important fundraiser. I look forward to seeing you there.

Thank you. Well done to all of you.

Message from our Founder — Trudi Shelton

As I look back on 2025 and all that Four Reasons Why has experienced this year, I feel an overwhelming sense of pride and gratitude. What we have achieved together — as an organisation, as a community, and as a team — is nothing short of remarkable.

The Four Reasons Why board, volunteers, supporters, comrades, and contributors are a rare and extraordinary group of kindness warriors. The way our collective energy comes together to strengthen, uplift, and support our community is truly powerful. We move with a shared purpose, and that unity is what allows us to make a real difference.

Our third annual Walk to Remember was another deeply meaningful milestone. Standing together to speak out against domestic violence, honouring the lives lost, and acknowledging the families forever changed — it was a moment of solidarity and compassion. With more than 120 participants, the event not only raised vital funds but also strengthened our commitment to helping those in need.

To all our receivers, we honour your courage. It takes immense strength to acknowledge hardship and to allow us into your lives, even briefly, to help carry some of the weight. Your bravery inspires everything we do.

Throughout 2025, we built new partnerships, some of those are from Adelaide, which has been extraordinary support. We deepened existing friendships and celebrated the connections that make our mission possible. The bond between the 4RW team, the givers, the receivers, and our incredibly generous community is something we cherish. We truly are in this together. As we step into the coming year, we do so with optimism, hope, and a renewed commitment to serving one another with kindness and compassion.

This year also carried a deeply personal chapter for me. I lost my father, Ron Shelton, to his battle with cancer — a man whose heart, dedication, and belief in this initiative have been part of its foundation from the very beginning. Dad was not only an incredible contributor and valued team member; he was a man who quietly, without fuss, volunteered his time in service to others, always showing up with generosity, humility, and love. His commitment to helping others was surpassed only by his devotion to me and to supporting his daughter and four grandchildren to achieve success with this organisation. Carrying forward this work without him has been painful, but it has also been a profound honour. His spirit is woven into everything we do, and his legacy continues to guide me, and all of us, toward kindness and purpose.

Thank you to each and every one of you who believes in us, walks beside us, and continues to help us create a stronger, kinder community. Your support means everything.

A Snapshot of Our Activities in 2025

Income: $168,383.00 Expenditure: $164,970.05 (spent on local families)

In 2025, Four Reasons Why helped hundreds of people in need in our local community through the following programs:

Winter Wear Program

This was our first-ever program, initiated by our Founder, Trudi Shelton, who recognised the need for warm clothing, footwear and blankets among children and young adults in our community during the cold winter months. This year, locals across 9 local schools and agencies in the Limestone Coast received new and good quality used items to ensure a warmer and more comfortable winter.

SMAP (Sports Membership Assistance Program)

This important program assists youth aged 9 to 25 years in our community to participate in sports and physical activities — expenses that are often unaffordable for their parents. Activities include sports team fees, horse riding lessons, gym memberships, and dance lessons for those not inclined towards competitive sports. Formal applications are assessed for each applicant. In 2025, 93 youths were assisted, amounting to $17,527.

Backpacks, Lunch Boxes, Water Bottles

A backpack, lunch box and water bottle are essential items for children attending school. We provide excellent quality backpacks with a lunch box and water bottle for those in need, as well as school uniforms. In 2025, we assisted 200 children with backpacks and 400 water bottles across the Limestone Coast.

School Camp Fees

Many children are unable to attend school camps because their parents or carers cannot afford the cost. We pay for, or subsidise, the cost of these camps to enable children to attend with their peers. In 2025, we subsidised camps amounting to $11,402.00.

Refurbished White Goods

4RW supports victims and survivors of domestic violence and their children by working closely with Centacare Limestone Coast Domestic Violence Service and others, identified through various means, who are leaving emergency accommodation and starting over rebuilding a new home. We provide refurbished washing machines and refrigerators, delivered and paid for at 4RW's expense. This has been life-changing for some survivors. In 2025, 27 people were assisted at a cost of $7,030.

Driving Lessons

Many youths struggle to afford the excessive cost of driving lessons and the test to obtain a driver's licence. 4RW funds up to three driving lessons per youth and, assessed on an individual basis, will pay for more lessons and/or the cost of the test itself.

Christmas Vouchers and Assistance

We identify people in need at Christmas and provide them with a 4RW Christmas Family Voucher Pack, funded using community grants and local business cash donations. Each voucher pack is valued at $171 and includes a $50 Coles voucher, $50 Kmart voucher, $50 Foodbank voucher, and a $21 Wulanda Family Day Pass to the Recreation Centre. 4RW aims to empower families to shop for themselves and their families at Christmas. In 2025, 148 families (535 people) received this assistance. We also coordinate and distribute gifts given by generous donors to every child at Melaleuca Kindergarten (28 children received a gift, handmade stocking and reindeer food), every student (32) at Kalangadoo Primary School (8 years running), and many families identified through schools, local agencies, or who reach out themselves for help.

Targeted Activities

One of our favourite ways to act in kindness is by identifying various needs in the community throughout the year and providing practical, rapid assistance where possible. This assistance is very varied but includes:

• Food vouchers
• Hygiene items
• Furniture, often delivered by our volunteers
• Clothing, including baby clothing, nappies and essentials
• Assistance such as new car tyres to get to medical appointments and work
• Limited but immediate emergency accommodation for families, such as those whose homes have been destroyed by fire
• Mobility equipment, such as rehoming electric wheelchairs for those in need
• And anything else we can do to assist those in crisis

In 2025, we assisted several hundred people in acute need.