"World of Difference" Winners Donate Themselves

Four Australians will give up their day jobs and spend a year ‘donating themselves’ to their favourite charity as part of the Vodafone Australia Foundation World of Difference program.

The four chosen participants will have their salaries (up to $50,000) and expenses (up to $25,000) covered for a year by the Foundation.

‘World of Difference’ winners were selected by a team of judges, including program ambassador and Australian netball captain Liz Ellis from hundreds of applicants across Australia.

They are:
– Ellie Whittaker, 22, a temporary library ordering assistant and youth worker from Adelaide, who will use her theatre and youth skills to deliver motivational theatre and arts programs at the Not for Profit organisation Urban Myth Theatre of Youth. The programs will be aimed at people aged 5-26, who want to express their culture through the arts.

– Rachel Haimes, 32, a profoundly deaf fundraising support officer from Brisbane, will dedicate her World of Difference year to Deaf Services Queensland. The Not for Profit organisation provides support services for deaf and hard-of-hearing Queenslanders. Rachel’s role will include website development, deafness awareness training and teaching Auslan (Australian sign language).

– Stewart Davies, 30, a Melbourne volunteer with Engineers Without Borders Australia (EWB) will dedicate more time to the organisation by taking on a role as Program Director. Stewart, who has a Masters degree in International Development, will use his skills and experience to help develop 38 new programs and place 25 volunteers in eight countries. EWB works with disadvantaged communities to improve their infrastructure through education and the set up of sustainable engineering projects.

– Peter Holland, 46, a successful managing director for a management consulting business in Sydney, will give up his day job and use his skills to deliver health and education messages to indigenous youth in remote Australia with Red Dust Role Models (RDRM). Peter is putting his successful corporate career on hold to help the organisation use the profile and influence of positive role models to promote lasting behavioural and lifestyle changes in remote indigenous communities.

According to David White, Chairman of the Vodafone Australia Foundation, the final four successful applicants were standouts.

Now in its fourth year, the World of Difference Program is said to be unique to Australia. Vodafone says it is the only corporate responsibility program in the country giving Australians the opportunity to work for their favourite charity for a year, fully funded and fully supported by a company.

Link www.vodafone.com