Paula Pool and Demelza Gardem’s charity, Fuel for Schools (FFS), began with a simple donation of five backpacks containing school supplies in 2015.
This grew into an annual initiative, collecting donations to provide hundreds of packs to schools each year. Paula and Demelza later learned that many students were coming to school without having had breakfast, or even dinner the night before. They set about collecting and distributing food donations to ensure no student had to try to learn while hungry.
FFS expanded quickly over the ensuing decade to respond to community need, and now includes 58 primary and high schools in a vast geographical area from Townsville to Mount Isa.
Paula and Demelza’s dedication in securing fundraising and coordinating the efforts of FFS mean that thousands of underprivileged students are given a meal to start their day. Schools have reported improved wellbeing, attendance, behaviour, and learning outcomes among their students.