The Illawarra Hawks' Pepper Money Real Life Stories program has been highlighting the fantastic work of community groups in the region all season.
After already profiling the fantastic work of Clontarf, Healthy Cities Illawarra, Jammers and MCCI, the Hawks recently visited Greenacres Disability Services and witness firsthand their incredible program.
Greenacres is one of the largest disability service providers in the Illawarra and for more than 68 years, has been a trusted name with a reputation for innovation, flexibility and quality support.
They support more than 230 participants to achieve their goals and help them to build confidence, skills and independence to live the best life possible.
"I've personally been working with Greenacres for a number of years now and throughout that time, you can just see the fantastic programs they have in place give people with disabilities a purpose -which is the biggest thing in life for a lot of people," said Hawks community engagement officer Tim Coenraad, who was accompanied by teammate Akoldah Gak on the day.
"I love Greenacres so much because they provide that platform for people who haven't had the best start in life by creating a fun and safe environment that people want to be a part of - they were a no-brainer to me to be a part of this Pepper Money Real Life Stories program.
"It's super rewarding for me and the other Hawks players to come out and see how much enjoyment all the participants get from playing the sport we all love - especially as these are faces we always see in the crowd at our home games."
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As part of the program, Pepper Money and the Hawks will collectively contribute $1,000 to the program, which has been used to buy the participants Hawks hats (so they could play basketball outside in the sun safely) and uniforms.
"I believe Greenacres was selected as one of the six organisations to receive a grant from Pepper Money because we've been empowering individuals with disabilities in the Illawarra for more than 68 years and like the Hawks, we're synonymous to this region and a fantastic example of community," said Greenacres general manager of person-centred operations Grant Vukasinovic, who's basketball program has been running for more than three years.
"Ever since we first started, this basketball program, spearheaded by former Greenacres ambassador Tim Coenraad, has grown substantially, as it challenges our participants physically but also provides them with an avenue to make friends and learn skills, they might not have necessarily had the chance to.
"On top of that, most of these guys are now also playing in the local competitions around the Illawarra, showing how beneficial this program has been to their lives - we're absolutely thrilled with the result thus far and are excited to see how they grow in the future."
Pepper Money’s head of brand and sponsorship David Berry also highlighted the strength of the partnership to deliver meaningful outcomes to community groups such as Greenacres.
“We launched the Illawarra Hawks' Pepper Money Real Life Stories program to give financial grants to key community partners so that they could continue their important work within the Illawarra community,” Berry said.
“Since then, we’ve discovered that the impact goes far beyond what we anticipated.
“Our program has strengthened relationships and delivered priceless smiles and joy to so many deserving members of the Illawarra community.
“On a personal note, I feel very fortunate to be part of the program that is making such a meaningful impact - we couldn’t be prouder of our partnership with the Hawks.”
