Can you bake the world a better place? At Red Cross, we think so!
Big Cake Bake is a fun and easy way to make a difference to people’s lives.
When you enjoy a slice of cake and a cuppa at a Big Cake Bake event the money raised will help connect more people to their strengths, each other and to the things we all need to build good lives.
Your Big Cake Bake will support some of these important programs:
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Read on to see how you’ll be making the world better, one bite at a time.
Help people like Bill find connection
As 93-year-old Bill has got older, his family has watched him become more isolated and withdrawn. They’ve seen him struggle with depression. All of Bill’s friends have passed on and he has been living on his own since his wife died 16 years ago.
But for the last two years, Matt, a Red Cross visitor, has been bringing happiness to Bill's twilight years. Every week they catch up, swapping stories and sharing jokes over a cup of tea and biscuits.
“I get lonely being by myself,” says Bill. “Matt’s the best thing that ever happened to me. We sit and talk about anything. He’s like a brother. He’s my best mate.”
All over Australia, Red Cross people like Matt visit and phone older, isolated people offering friendship and support. They let people know they’re valued and that they matter. It’s one of many ways we help older people stay safe, independent and connected.
“I'd be totally lost without him. I can't wait until the day he comes. As soon as he walks in, the place lights up,” says Bill.
When you host your feel-good event this Spring you’ll be helping others feel good by bringing comfort and connection to people who are older and isolated.
$30
Could help Red Cross volunteers reach out to two Australian families after a disaster, in-person or on the phone.
$80
Could help us make a phone call each day for a month to someone who's living alone or isolated.
Provide a warm welcome for people fleeing conflict like Olena
Olena fled the conflict in Ukraine, leaving behind her home, job and friends. She has found safety in Australia where her daughter and granddaughter live. But building a new life in a country, where she can’t speak the language and knows no one else, has been hard.
“It was hard, both mentally and physically … My life rhythm changed; my self-confidence faltered; I used to be self-sufficient,” she says.
Then she found our Connected Women program. It helps migrant women overcome isolation and feel safe, supported, and valued as they build a life in a new country. Olena says the first time she came to a Connected Women workshop “people stopped to look at me; I saw those kind eyes, and I was welcomed”.
“Human interaction heals the soul. … I’m grateful we found this program. I’m glad there’s people, a community where I can come, and they’ll understand me.”
Through Connected Women she has not only found friends, but she has found her confidence, independence and identity again. She is now learning English, hopes to start volunteering in the community, get her driver’s licence and eventually a job.
When you connect with your friends and family this Spring, you’re helping refugees and people seeking asylum connect with the community and feel safe, supported and valued.
$30
could provide a public transport card to a newly arrived migrant to help them get to job interviews and medical appointments.
$90
could provide groceries to a recently arrived refugee family in Australia, helping them to start their new lives in safety.
