|
|
Beginnings
|
In 1992, Anne combined her interest in creating her first calendar
of selected images with the Geddes’ interest in helping others. In response to a
call for assistance, she and Kel raised more than NZ $20,000 toward the prevention
of child abuse in New Zealand.
In the early years, Anne and Kel donated to a number of groups
and organizations around the globe: the National Association for the Prevention
of Child Abuse and Neglect (NAPCAN) of Australia; Doctors for Sexual Abuse Care
(DSAC), The Child Protection Trust, and the Starship Foundation in New Zealand;
the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC) in the U.K.;
and the C. Henry Kempe National Center for the Prevention and Treatment of Child
Abuse and Neglect, the Village of Childhelp West, SHINE (Seeking Harmony in Neighborhoods
Everyday), and Garden of Angels, Inc. in the U.S.
The Geddes formally created the Geddes Philanthropic Trust
to manage their charitable work in 1998.
|
Giving
|
Active internationally, since its inception the Geddes Philanthropic
Trust has provided support to charities and institutions including the International
Red Cross in Germany, Enfance et Partage in France, and Waitakere Abuse & Trauma
Counselling Service and Kidz First Children’s Hospital Child Protection Services
in New Zealand, as well as:
In 1998, Anne and Kel established a Geddes Fellowship program
to fund a dedicated primary physician concentrating in the identification, treatment,
and research of child abuse and neglect at the Children’s Hospital at Westmead in
Sydney, Australia. An essential part of the Fellowship program is a travel grant
to enable communication and an exchange of ideas and findings.
In 2001, the Geddes Philanthropic Trust announced a $1 million
contribution to Childhelp USA to help support the Childhelp USA® National Child
Abuse Hotline, 1-800-4-A-CHILD.
In early 2005, more than $83,400 was donated to the UNICEF
South Asia Tsunami Relief Effort.
Following Hurricane Katrina in 2005 in the U.S., more than
20,000 items of Anne Geddes Baby clothing were donated through the organization
Feed the Children, to benefit the babies affected by relocation, and in many cases,
separation from their parents.
In 2006, Anne and Kel Geddes established a five-year Geddes
Fellowship at the Children’s Hospital at Orange County, California, on the hospital’s
Suspected Child Abuse and Neglect (SCAN) team. In addition, they were a sponsor
of the 16th Annual CHOC/Disneyland® Resort “Walk In The Park,” which raised $1.4
million for the hospital, and continue to provide ongoing support for this significant
fund-raiser.
A three-year Geddes Fellowship was established in 2007 at Starship
Children’s Hospital in Auckland, New Zealand, for training and development of medical
staff for Te Puaruruhau, the multi-agency child abuse center.
The Geddes Philanthropic Trust has supported a Children’s Crisis
and Respite Care Nursery at the Family Support Center of Southwestern Utah in the
U.S. for two years.
|
Geddes Fellows
|
The Geddes Fellowship program funded by the Geddes Philanthropic
Trust has continued to be of great benefit in the fight against child abuse by providing
financial assistance for newly graduated doctors for a year’s study in the field.
Geddes Fellows have taken their knowledge into their communities, helping to build
additional networks of skilled professionals in New Zealand, Australia, and the
U.S. The ongoing development of this Fellowship around the world will be one of
the Trust’s main goals for the future.
|
|
|