Enthusiastic golfers are being urged to help raise funds for regional children, who are experiencing hardship.
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Proceeds from the annual Ian Stanley Classic will be directed to Cafs (Child and Family Services, Ballarat) Thread Together program.
The program provides new, brand-label clothes at no cost to people in need through a Ballarat store and mobile wardrobes. The Ballarat store opened in July 2021.
Cafs program and volunteer lead Nicole Roberts said anyone in need could access the Thread Together program.
"With the clothing hub and our mobile wardrobes, we try to connect with as many as we can. We have all of our kids in youth housing and if there are any families in need, they can come through here and get their clothing," Ms Roberts said.
"We are also reaching out to those surrounding areas like Daylesford, Bacchus Marsh and Ararat and doing pop-up shops there too. We are trying to reach out to them all in the community."
Funds from the golf event will be directed specifically to supporting young people with new clothing, allowing recipients to dress with dignity, removing another barrier to continuing their education and ensuring each child has the opportunity to reach their full potential.
The Smith Family family partnership co-ordinator Bridget Folbigg, who is located at Phoenix Community College, said The Smith Family worked with Ballarat's disadvantaged families.
"What we're seeing is such an increase in the pressures of the cost of living so this service (Thread Together) is becoming more and more of a process for us to use for families. They're really desperate and they don't have any spare money to be able to put aside," Ms Folbigg said.
"This service is vital for our families ... and I think unfortunately it's becoming more and more of a necessity."
Fundraising is the only way Cafs receives money to deliver the Thread Together program to the community.
Ms Roberts said Cafs had expanded the program to take the mobile wardrobes to other communities and visit more people face-to-face.
"All money raised will help us reach further into the community and make it more accessible," she said.
The golf day, which raised $12,000 in 2022, is a Tee Up for Kids event.
Ian Stanley was a champion both on and off the course and involved with the Hepburn Springs Golf Club. He was a founding director of the Tee Up for Kids Foundation, a not-for-profit organisation which raises money for disadvantaged children in Victoria.
The golf classic will be held on Friday, March 17. To register a team or to donate, visit www.teeupforkids.org.au.
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