Sharing #5000smiles for Melbourne’s Jewish Care’s Annual Appeal

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Jewish Care Victoria has launched it 2017 Annual Appeal, its theme based on the popularity of using emojis to express our feelings. For the first time, the Appeal will include a dedicated social media campaign, titled #5000smiles.

Running until 30 June 2017, the Annual Appeal aims to raise $3 million for the organisation’s community services that receive little or no government funding. Without the community’s support, the organisation’s social justice programs and services such as financial aid, employment and education; housing and disability services could not be possible. Funds raised from last year’s Appeal have:

• assisted over 500 individuals and families who experienced financial stress
• provided critical short term housing to 171 adults and children
• placed 175 unemployed people into a secure job
• provided 23,000 hours of care  to children and adults with disability at The Coppel & Piekarski Family Disability Respite Centre

Through a mix of press, online and outdoor advertising, the campaign will use emojis to convey the message and emotions that relate to four vital community issues that need attention. These include how many people Jewish Care supports each year, family violence and housing; poverty and homelessness.

Three short videos are also being launched as part of the Appeal, which depict true stories of Jewish Care clients with regards to housing, employment and disability services.

All three videos share the underlying message that community support is important, and we are all connected. By banding together, we can all help those less fortunate.

Alongside the core campaign, a dedicated social media campaign is running from early March, where the community is encouraged to tag their social media posts with #5000smiles.

Jewish Care hopes to encourage thousands of people to send an emoji smile to someone to show they care. This coincides with Jewish Care supporting over 5000 people per year, and its aim is to reach 5000 people or more through Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, and to spread happiness to loved ones who may need cheering up.

Jewish Care’s General Manager – Community, Mark Joel said: “There are a whole set of challenges which impact our community – domestic violence, disability, mental health, suicide and unemployment. Crisis happens in our community every day, and when crisis hits, in an instant – the life of a family or an individual can become altered. And the organisation to which so many people in our community turn to at these moments is Jewish Care.

Your donation will help support one life at a time, and as we are taught by the Jewish tradition – each life is a world, each world reliant upon the community’s support.”

To donate to the 2017 Annual Appeal, visit jewishcare.org.au/donate or contact 1800 JEWISH (1800 539 474).