“Amazon Australia has provided one thousand $100 gift cards to the Society to distribute to families in need,” said St Vincent de Paul Society National Council president Claire Victory. “Vinnies offices in NSW, Victoria, Queensland, South Australia and Western Australia will each receive 180 gift cards, while 100 more will be distributed through the Canberra Goulburn office.”

Together, the unexpected partners have created a Vinnies ‘Back to School’ online shop to help guide families around Amazon.com.au’s wide selection of school products, including backpacks, drink bottles and stationery.

“We hope this support will help ensure that more students can focus on their studies and thrive.” – Matt Furlong, country manager, Amazon Australia

Matt Furlong, the country manager of Amazon Australia, explained the initiative is “part of Amazon’s global commitment to support disadvantaged students to succeed at school”.

“The start of this school year will be a difficult time for many families across Australia, so we have teamed up with Vinnies to provide support to some of the students who need it most,” he said.

“We hope this support will help ensure that more students can focus on their studies and thrive, and not fall behind as the COVID-19 pandemic continues.”

The St Vincent de Paul Society will be providing some of the 1000 gift cards directly to families in need and via its extensive membership network, who will help families purchase supplies using the cards.

“This is the kind of work Vinnies does every day, but significant commitments such as this increases our ability to provide essential goods to a greater number of people,” Victory said.