This year, Jeans for Genes Day is 7th August across Australia and provides an opportunity to support the Children’s Medical Research Institute to help find cures for genetic diseases affecting children. Genetic diseases are serious conditions caused, at least partly, by changes in DNA. They can be inherited or happen unexpectedly due to chance occurrences.

“1 in 20 kids face a birth defect or genetic disease, and 30% of children’s hospital admissions are due to genetic disorders.”

Many of these genetic diseases are poorly understood and have no specific treatments or cures. Supporting Jeans for Genes Day allows the Children’s Medical Research Institute to continue their research into treatments and cures.

Get involved this August by:

• Making a donation
• Volunteering with the organisation
• Spreading awareness of Jeans for Genes Day

For more information, visit:
https://www.jeansforgenes.org.au/get-involved/events/jeans-for-genes-day

The 2020 Homelessness Week theme is ‘Everybody needs a home’, aiming to highlight the importance of having a home to stay healthy and well in following the devastating impacts of the bush fires and COVID-19 pandemic. Advocacy and activism for those who have lost their homes is a focus this year, along with the ongoing ‘Everybody’s Home Campaign’.

“On any given night in Australia 1 in 200 people are homeless.”

Homelessness Australia provides information sheets and resources to support events all around Australia. This is an important opportunity to recognise the prevalent homelessness issue within the Australian community.

To get involved this August:

• Raise awareness on social media
• Inform the community by spreading information sheets
• Organise a fundraiser

For more information, visit: https://www.homelessnessaustralia.org.au/

The Australian Dental Association Dental Health Week aim to educate Australians about the importance of maintaining good oral health by promoting messages about dental care. The 2020 campaign focuses on the harm sugar does to oral health, aiming to help Australians to ‘get sugar savvy’ by considering ‘How much sugar is hiding is your trolley?’.

73% of young people and 47% of adults are consuming too much sugar.

Get involved this August by:

• Maintaining good oral care
• Visiting your dentist if needed
• Raising awareness on social media
• Informing the community

For more information, visit:
https://www.ada.org.au/Dental-Health-Week/Home

World Breastfeeding Week, 1st-7th August, is an initiative which aims to protect, promote and support breastfeeding as the best way to provide newborns with the nutrients they need.

“Breastfeeding is not only the cornerstone of a child’s healthy development; it is also the foundation of a country’s development.”

The 2020 campaign aims to highlight impacts of infant feeding on the environment and how important promoting and supporting breastfeeding is for the health of individuals and the planet.

Get involved this August by:

• Raising awareness on social media
• Educating the community
• Organising a fundraiser
• Donating to the foundation

For more information, visit: http://worldbreastfeedingweek.org/

World Hepatitis Day is a campaign bringing the world together to raise awareness of viral hepatitis and play a part in the fight to eliminate viral hepatitis by 2030. The 2020 theme is ‘Find the Missing Millions’, highlighting the important of finding the un-diagnosed and linking them to care.

Worldwide, 290 million people are living with viral hepatitis unaware.

World Hepatitis Day is an opportunity to celebrate progress and advancements made, highlight the current challenges and an occasion to increase awareness and work towards prevention, diagnosis and treatment.

Get involved this July by:

• Raising awareness on social media
• Handing out promotional merchandise
• Creating a poster
• Volunteering
• Donating

For more information, visit: http://www.worldhepatitisday.org.au/
https://www.worldhepatitisday.org/

Each year Chronic Pain Australia organises National Pain Week to champion the needs of the many Australians living with chronic pain. This year it is running from 27 July to 2 August and the theme is ‘Faces of Pain’, designed to demonstrate that individuals living with chronic pain are not alone and help breakdown the stigma surrounding chronic pain by showcasing what life with chronic pain is like.

Chronic pain affects 1 in 5 Australians aged 45 and over (AIHW, 2020).

National Pain Week aims not only to educate the broader population about chronic pain, but also communicate to medical professionals what people in the pain community require.

Get involved during this week by:

• Tuning into the Facebook Live broadcast
• Accessing resources on their website
• Raising awareness on social media
• Educating friends and family about this week
• Making a donation

For more information, visit:
https://www.nationalpainweek.org.au/

DonateLife Week is a key part of the Australian Government’s national reform program to increase organ and tissue donation and transplantation outcomes. Each year, events are held across Australia during DonateLife Week to encourage all Australians to register their donation decision and to discuss their donation decisions with their loved ones.

“Around 1,600 people are currently waitlisted for a transplant. A further 12,000 people are on dialysis of whom many would benefit from a kidney transplant.”

Get involved this August by:

• Registering for a donation
• Raising awareness on social media
• Informing family and friends

For more information, visit: http://www.donatelife.gov.au/donatelife-week

Stress Down Day falls on Friday 24th July this year and is an initiative designed to raise important funds for Lifeline Australia. The funds raised contribute to Lifeline’s crisis support services, aimed at encouraging help seeking and awareness of suicide prevention.

“Research shows that 90% of Australians need to stress less – with 74% of people reporting being stressed from work. ”

Get involved this July by:

• Managing your well-being
• Making a donation
• Organising a fundraiser at work
• Volunteering with the organisation
• Raising awareness on social media

For more information, visit:https://www.lifeline.org.au/support-lifeline/lifeline-campaigns/campaigns

National Farm Safety Week has been running for over 20 years, and aims to raise awareness of farm safety issues nationwide. Farmsafe Australia uses this week to advocate for improvements in available information on hazards, risk factors and safety solutions, striving to bring farming communities together with the common goal of reducing risk of injury in the agricultural industry.

“Around 20 children under 15 years are fatally injured on an Australian farm every year and many more are hospitalised or treated by General Practitioners across rural Australia.”

Get involved this July by:

• Raising awareness on social media
• Learning how to be safe on Australian farms
• Sharing safety information with others

For more information, visit:
https://www.farmsafe.org.au/Farm-Safety-Week

National Pyjama Day is about raising much needed awareness and funds for children in foster care. By wearing your favourite PJ’s and by making a donation, you’ll be helping foster children achieve their dreams.

“Currently there are more than 43,000 children in foster care, and statistics show that approximately 32,250 of these children will not complete high school.”

Supporting the Pyjama Foundation allows them to not only support children in foster care, but inspire them with learning, life skills, and confidence.

Get involved this July by:

• Hosting a Pyjama Day
• Making a donation
• Volunteering with the foundation
• Raising awareness on social media

For more information, visit: https://www.nationalpyjamaday.com/