Alcoa volunteers support Vinnies WA

Alcoa Australia (ASX: AAI) sent 40 employees to volunteer for St Vincent de Paul Society (Vinnies) in Mandurah and Bunbury earlier this week.

The volunteers donated their time to lend a hand, supporting activities including receiving, unpacking and sorting donations and displaying stock. Under the Alcoa Foundation Community Impact Campaign, Alcoa also donated nearly $130,000 towards the Vinnies Passages Youth Engagement Hub in Peel.

The hub offers a safe, welcoming space where vulnerable young people aged 12-25 can access essential services such as food, showers, laundry, internet, clothing and phone charging.

Vinnies WA homelessness services manager Roberta O’Connor says Vinnies WA is grateful for Alcoa’s support.

“Over the past year, 718 young people accessed Vinnies’ Passages hubs, having engaged in more than 7,600 sessions,” she said.

“The Passages team is extremely grateful to Alcoa for this generous contribution, which will support the vital work Vinnies WA does to support vulnerable young people in the region.”

Alcoa Australia President  Elsabe Muller says it was wonderful to have so many Alcoans helping Vinnies.

“Volunteering in the communities where we live, work and operate is incredibly important to our employees and amplifies the impacts of our contributions,” she said.

“This important behind-the-scenes work directly supports people in need, as proceeds from Vinnies op shop sales fund services such as emergency relief, accommodation and support programs.”

Despite 20% of WA’s homeless population being youths, there are very few holistic and flexible youth-specific homelessness services in WA. In addition to fulfilling basic needs, the hub runs engaging workshops and activities designed to improve social, emotional, mental and physical wellbeing.

The Alcoa Foundation Community Impact Campaign contributed over $400,000 to charitable locations across 27 locations globally in 2024.