Office products industry punches through pandemic
AOPCF chairman John Donaghy outlines the Charity Fund’s achievements in a most challenging year.
I would like to take this opportunity to update you on behalf of the Australian Office Products Charitable Fund (AOPCF) on the year we would like to forget.
It’s an understatement to say that 2020 will be a year to remember but the AOPCF has had a stellar year and has distributed more $140,000 to many worthwhile causes.
January saw the great book pack giveaway where the Charity Fund put together over 6500 book packs and distributed them to more than 40 public schools in remote areas of NSW and Victoria.
Over three weeks of rather warm days volunteers from suppliers, dealers and extended families worked well into the night to meet the school deadlines and make a lot of drought victims a little happier.
Contributions were received from ACCO Brands, Opal Australian Paper, Brother, COS, Discount Office National, Pencraft Office National, Our Town & Country Office National, General Stationery Supplies, GNS Wholesale, Office Brands, Office Choice, Hamelin, Staedtler, Mitsubishi Pencil and Northline Logistics.
A cast of thousands came to help and the Charity Fund owes a lot of people a huge thank you.
A special thank you has to go out to my wife Reg and Nancye Cargill who showed up every day to help. Also a special thank you to ACCO Brands and Kevin Hurly who helped co-ordinate 24 pallets out of Sydney to the remote destinations. More than $120,000 worth of product made its way to places I am sure you have never heard of.
On behalf of the industry, we have also donated products to numerous Office Choice dealers who suffered financial hardship due to the bushfires.
We also had a request from some Indigenous primary school children for book packs and art supplies.
Donations were also made to Children’s Cancer through a request from a member of Office Brands.
After the success of this year’s Charity Golf Day we will donate $15,000 to Limbs 4 Kids, a wonderful children’s charity that makes a difference to many families.
All in all we have been very proud of our efforts in a year that has seen our fund-raising program curtailed due to the pandemic.
Hopefully, next year will be back to normal with the Charity Golf Day set down for 26 March at Macquarie Links and the Christmas Charity Lunch scheduled for late November at Club Kirribilli.
I must again stress that this is YOUR charity and we never take for granted the generosity of our sponsors and patrons.
The office products industry punches well above its weight.
Merry Christmas and thank you all.
John Donaghy
Chairman
Australian Office Products Charitable Fund
Date Published:
30 November 2020