A charity helping young people with disabilities is "overwhelmed" after it received more than $100,000 in donations to help keep its doors open for workshops.
On Tuesday, StarJam, which offers music, dance and performance workshops for young people with disabilities, revealed it would have to close its doors in two weeks because of a short-term cashflow problem.
But a fundraising campaign to save the charity has been more than successful, reaching its goal of $100,000 last night. As of publication, donations currently sit at $149,813.
StarJam chief executive Gilli Sinclair told 1News the response to the fundraiser had been "fantastic".
"We're overwhelmed by people's generosity and just want to acknowledge the enormous number of people from the public."
She said that the StarJam community, or "jammers", had also rallied together, looking for ways to save the service that is so vital to them.
"One of my favourite stories is one of the jammers brought his piggy bank along to the workshop," Sinclair said.
"He emptied it out and gave the coins to one of the coordinators so StarJam could stay open."
In a Facebook post, StarJam said: "Honestly, we didn't think it was going to be possible.
"We should have known better — StarJam is all about coming together, beating expectations, and believing in yourself, and you've proven this to be true once again. You've shown us so much support, and we're so proud to be part of this community."
Sinclair said that donations weren't the only important outcome of the fundraiser, with "some really interested corporates and potential partners" getting in contact.
"So, we're going back and talking to them as well," she said.
The rising cost of living, increased cost of doing business, and reduced funding streams have hammered the charity. Because of this, StarJam is changing its funding model away from grants, which it traditionally relied on.
"So, we're just in that transition stage," Sinclair explained on Tuesday.
"We've got some brilliant medium-term and long-term strategies that will kick in around June/July, but we've just got this period of time where we're struggling."
The money raised through the fundraiser will help keep the doors open for the next few months until the new strategies are put in place.
Sinclair said the fundraiser will remain open until Sunday, saying that "every bit counts". She also said there are plans that were part of the campaign yet to take place.
You can still donate here.
SHARE ME