ProjectKindness is a Sydney-based, volunteer-run organisation that provides essential resources and connection for people in need. Founder Clem Hartson shares some of her story, and how practicing kindness can transform lives.
Q: What brought you to the value of kindness?
As part of my studies in mental health at the time, I was working with people living in boarding houses, which were dark and depressing environments, especially for people living with complex challenges.
I came up with a campaign to furnish the houses with art and photos, donated by members of the public. We did this over social media and we had an amazing, generous response. We were able to use the donations to brighten many rooms.
The residents said how much this changed their day-to-day life. So, this led to extending the campaign to similar settings across Sydney.
Another motivator for me is my own experience with anxiety and depression in high school. The support I received at that time was so generous, so kind, that I resolved to repay the gratitude I felt in some way, in my future.
My working background is in Child Protection and adult mental health, and I studied Counselling and Psychology, and graduated with a Bachelor of Psychological Science in 2017.
Other than the strong social justice values that form the basis of a Catholic school education, I do not practice any specific religious or faith affiliation. As it has worked out – my religion is kindness.
Q: What does kindness look like?
Through different initiatives and outreach, we offer food, clothing, toys, meals, connection, and home items for anyone in need. Our goal is to bring kindness to those who need it, through connection, assistance and restoration. In Sydney, there are many, many people in need. The numbers are growing every year, every month, every week.
We offer regular food deliveries to those who are living below the poverty line. We set up Kindness Cupboards across Sydney and in Newcastle, stocked with food, toiletries, and other basic necessities, for anyone to access and also to deposit into. We partner with schools, social workers, and the Sydney community to supply school breakfast and lunch packs to help combat the cost of living that is affecting so many families.
Other initiatives might respond to seasonal needs 鈥� such as our recent 鈥榖ack to school鈥� campaign, providing essentials packs for students. And we offer other bits and pieces too 鈥� such as Kindness Hampers or household necessities that help to make houses feel more like home.
Q: How do donations come?
The project relies on the community. We rely on our donors to provide what we distribute, and we work with a community of donors that has grown over time. In my experience, most people really want to help others, but may not know how to do it or where they can go to give. It can also be hard to cross the barriers of fear and stigma. Even with so many more people struggling with the cost of living, people still want to give help where they can. ProjectKindness is one way to give help that is easy and can fit in with busy lives.
ProjectKindness is not government funded. We receive infrequent funding from grant applications when successful – which is very welcome, but is not regular.
Q: What is the item most in demand from ProjectKindness?
It is very much food. Currently, 90% of our self-referred customers are seeking food relief.
Our frontline partners, such as case workers and health professionals, are more likely to seek the basic essentials for setting up a home – such as kettles, toasters, beds, linen.
Q Who are you helping?
ProjectKindness鈥� point of difference is that we provide support to anyone who needs it. Our self-referrals have a couple of requirements 鈥� for example, you need to be on Centrelink, or have a mental health or disability challenge, or be a woman escaping domestic violence or a rough sleeper.
Our support is for people with immediate need. For longer-term support, we offer referrals to services that can help people to find the support they need.
Q How do people in need connect with your services?
People self-refer to us, which means they approach us directly for support. Often, they have found us by looking at community support directories, such as AskIzzy.
Health professionals and other frontline workers tend to find us through word-of-mouth, and we receive referrals from other community support organisations that may be inundated.
Q Who is on the ProjectKindness Team?
We have a small, volunteer team. Everyday running of ProjectKindness is basically me, with family support from my mum and my sister.
My sister is an ICU nurse who gives support outside of her shifts and does a lot of the running around. My Mum handles the phone calls throughout the day.
We occasionally also have volunteers, however not at this time, as we do not have the capacity to run an induction program. We are currently in search of a base, as the program is run from home. I also work full time.
We are hoping to expand and be able to welcome regular volunteers in the near future.
Q How can anyone get involved or support your work?
The best way is to subscribe to our newsletter, on our website, or to follow our socials. This way, you can keep up with ways to donate and current programs and call-outs.
Q Why do you do this?
I have met some amazing people. You also meet some recipients whose stories make you understand how lucky you are.
I consider myself extremely fortunate, I had a wonderful upbringing, I am privileged to have close family and friends.
The sad reality is that there are many, many people for whom life is incredibly sad and hard. This can be due to a mixture of any number of contributing factors 鈥� such as mental health problems, having no family, experiencing social disconnection, loneliness, going under from the cost of living.
There is so much vulnerability and sadness on our doorstep and people do not always realise it because they may not see it close up or understand how easily it can occur.
Loneliness is one of the biggest challenges. For many people, suffering is all they know.
Having seen the other side of life, I feel it is a duty to do this.
Q: Do you become overwhelmed?
I used to struggle more. I think that I have built a thicker skin, compared with when I first started.
I sometimes struggle with feeling caught in between, thinking about how, for our recipients, something like having weekend brunch with friends or heading off down the coast for a break are completely foreign concepts.
What I do is hope that our small interaction helps their day.
Q What social or political change would you like to see, that would be most impactful/transformative for those in need?
I think more needs to be done to address the huge need for affordable and social housing. When the waitlist can be a decade, it is a situation that is crying out to be addressed.
There also needs to be so much more funding for charities and support organisations and grassroots community organisations, that are the main support for people in need. Increasingly, these are the organisations who are looking after those who do not fit the criteria for conventional avenues of support.
Currently in New South Wales, there are more than 1 million people living below the poverty line and increasing numbers of people sleeping rough. Children, single women, older women, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and people with a disability are the most likely to be living in economic disadvantage.
