Rewriting Futures Through Generosity
With MADEC
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 supported the Mackay and Whitsundays community with trusted youth and disability services. As a not-for-profit and public benevolent institution, we turn community donations into real-life impact.
“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.
“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.”
Your generosity can help open the door to new experiences, connection, and joy—things we all deserve to share in.
Visit madec.org.au/donate to donate today or speak to your Payroll Officer to set up workplace giving in your organisation!
