Can you help a digger on Anzac Day? Soldier On Australia is hoping to urgently raise $250,000 over this Anzac Day week to help more Australian service personnel and their families transition from the defence force to everyday life.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Soldier On CEO Mat Jones said more than 3000 veterans were helped on any given day by Soldier On across nine locations, including in Canberra at the Robert Poate Reintegration and Recovery Centre in Crace.
"The services range from mental health and wellbeing support, employment and education support to a range of activities to help people keep fit and healthy and give them a sense of social connectivity," Jones said.
"What we find is that when a lot of people take the uniform off, they can have a lot of feelings of isolation and loneliness so we conduct a range of activities to bring that feeling of community back again."
The Robert Poate Centre, at the Gungahlin Homestead, is named in honour of the late Private Robert Poate. The former Canberra Grammar student was killed in Afghanistan in 2012, aged just 23.
The centre does vital work helping personnel mentally and physically scarred by their service.
Soldier On is asking Australians this Anzac Day to help "protect those who protect us" by donating at soldieron.org.au or texting Honour to 0437 371 371 to make a contribution.
