Director Peter Caligari said cash donations – along with bequests of blankets and food – helped families and the elderly who were unable to heat their homes because of skyrocketing electricity costs. 

“A lot of the families are suffering enormously trying to meet schooling costs, medical costs – and our elderly citizens at the present time, there’s a huge number of the elderly citizens of Ballarat sitting in cold, unheated homes,” he said.

“Whilst we purchase a lot of food items and blankets, it is to enable us and the appeal to be totally effective and a little more wide embracing.”

Long time appeal donors Brown Hill Lioness Club were “incredible” supporters, Mr Caligari said. 

“They’re small in number but their generosity is absolutely massive,” he said.

“They buy a large quantity of new blankets, they provide an enormous amount for hand knitted products and this has been going for years.”

Club president Mary Jolly said the group lived to give.

“We consider that we’re a group of very lucky people and we raise money as often as we can and put it back into our community.” ​

Cash donations, food items and blankets can be left at the 3BA office, 56 Lydiard St North.