For many Australians education is something taken for granted but for people who experience disadvantage and social isolation attending university can seem like something from a fantasy novel. The good news is that through initiatives such as the Australian Catholic University’s Clemente Australia program that fantasy is becoming a reality. The Australian Catholic University (ACU)…
March 6 saw the official opening of The Footpath Library’s Perth branch. Whilst that means we have been busy recruiting volunteers to make our library services a reality, we have also been recruiting two new ambassadors for Western Australia. What an absolute pleasure it is to welcome David Whish-Wilson and Ken Spillman to our team…
There’s a fine line between having it all and having nothing. Founder Sarah Garnett and her partner, cinematographer Shane McLachlan, have produced a documentary about a man called Hank, who they met when he came to The Footpath Library’s original mobile site in Woolloomoolloo eight years ago. The aim of this personal tale is to…
International Book Giving Day is a volunteer initiative aimed at increasing children’s access to and enthusiasm for books. It is a sad fact of life that most children in developing countries do not own books and even in the wealthy countries such as the US, the UK and Australia, more than one third of children…
The Footpath Library simply couldn’t exist without the many volunteers who generously donate their time. It is thanks to their tireless dedication that we can offer our services to the homeless community. In this edition, we introduce you to our Melbourne Branch Manager Shayne Francis who explains why she has been volunteering at The Footpath…
Children are emerging as the new face of homelessness in Australia. Children in homeless families are now the largest single group who seek support from the homeless service system. In 2009-10, the homeless service system supported more than 84,000 children plus an additional 23,000 young people aged 18 or under who approached a service without…
To celebrate our tenth anniversary, The Footpath Library ran a national poetry competition for school-aged students on the theme of courage. Students could write traditional verse, create a visual or graphic representation of a poem or performance poetry such as rap rhyme or song. The word was picked up via writers’ centres, the library network,…