GIVE Melbourne: Ask Izzy featured in the Herald Sun
"I was stuck in a vicious cycle, and I think Ask Izzy would have saved me so many years. It's an incredible service in so many ways - it really helps people to reach out for support." - Vicky Vacondios, Lived Experience and Community Advisor for Ask Izzy.
Thank you to Pippa Salmon and the Herald Sun for sharing Vicky's story and spreading the word about Ask Izzy in relation to the GIVE Melbourne fundraiser.
Ask Izzy is asking for help
Ask Izzy logged in 4.2 million searches last year, and this year, we have seen record levels of demand for homelessness services, food relief, and family violence support.
If you are in a position to become one of 200 donors before 27 June, please visit the donation page and ensure we can keep Ask Izzy free and functioning for those in need.
GIVE Melbourne picks Ask Izzy as a featured charity
On 3 June 2024, The Lord Mayor’s Charitable Foundation launched its inaugural GIVE Melbourne, a month-long fundraising campaign to raise funds for critical community needs such as Ask Izzy.
Ask Izzy is a mobile website that connects people in need with housing, a meal, money help, family violence support, counselling and much more. It is free and anonymous, with thousands of services listed across Australia. The website is powered by Infoxchange, a not-for-profit social enterprise with a vision of technology for social justice.
Usage of Ask Izzy is currently at record levels due to cost-of-living pressures, with over 4 million searches for help in the last year alone.
The Lord Mayor’s Charitable Foundation Chief Executive Officer Peter Walton said, “Melbourne is often voted as the most liveable city. However, that’s not the experience or reality for many people in our community.
“The current cost of living crisis, increasing rates of unemployment for young people and lack of affordable housing has exacerbated existing community challenges.
“We’re working towards Greater Melbourne being a liveable and inclusive city for all people.”
CEO of Infoxchange, David Spriggs, said, “With over 4 million searches for help in the last year alone, Ask Izzy has become a critical link for people in need to connect with support services in their local community.”
“The data we’re seeing from Ask Izzy indicates that people are doing it very tough during the cost-of-living crisis. We are seeing record levels of demand for homelessness services, food and emergency relief, mental health and family violence support.”
“We rely on donations from generous supporters to keep Ask Izzy up and running. We urgently need support to ensure Ask Izzy remains up to date and available for those who need it”, Spriggs said.
Penny Fowler, Community Ambassador for one of Ask Izzy’s founding partners News Corp Australia, says the new campaign couldn’t come at a more crucial time.
“Over the last year, so many people have been impacted by the cost of living crisis and have been forced to reach out for help. It’s great to see this campaign to raise much-needed funds for Ask Izzy to continue connecting people in need with critical support services.”
GIVE Melbourne is aiming to inspire Melburnians to donate from now until 28 June. Donations of all sizes will help communities cope with the increasing effects of climate change, reduce homelessness and create inclusive employment opportunities for young people across Greater Melbourne.
GIVE Melbourne will support Ask Izzy by Infoxchange, Good Cycles, Lord Mayor’s Charitable Foundation and Sweltering Cities.
Learn more about how your donation can make a difference by visiting Ask Izzy on GIVE Melbourne.