Presenting your 2020 Westfield Local Heroes

We are excited to announce your three 2020 successful Westfield Local Heroes for Burwood.

These inspiring local leaders were nominated and voted for by the community and will now be awarded a $10,000 grant for each of their affiliated organisations to help their important work to grow.

Westfield Local Heroes is a community recognition and grants program, connecting and enriching local communities. Launched in 2018, the program spans our 42 trade areas across Australia and New Zealand. In 2020, we are awarding $1.26 million to 126 local organisations.

For further information on the Westfield Local Heroes program, click here.

Your three Westfield Burwood Local Heroes are:

Abla Kadous

Islamic Women's Welfare Association (IWWA)
Incredible. Inspiring. Humble

Seventy-year-old Abla Tohamy Kadous has overcome financial restraints and other challenges to create the Islamic Women's Welfare Association (IWWA). She leads 50 other volunteers and staff and is active in the activities of the thriving organisation she founded 17 years ago. “IWWA has over 1500 members from 56 nationalities and their welfare has always been my focus,” says Abla, who started volunteering 35 years ago. The association helps Islamic women feel welcome and participate in their communities. It offers anti-discrimination forums, school-readiness programs, cooking classes and events for the elderly. It also has a food program for people in need.

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Jenny Smith

Raise Foundation
Resilient. Brave. Hero

Jenny Smith has been a Raise Foundation mentor at Burwood Girls High School for three straight years. She gently encourages students to overcome their barriers by generously sharing her own story of overcoming adversity, including anxiety and depression. “I love inspiring and encouraging others,” says Jenny. Raise Foundation volunteer mentors give up two hours a week for 22 weeks to help young people become resilient, capable and connected by ensuring that they feel heard, valued and supported. “I do what I do because it gives me a sense of purpose,” Jenny says.

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Marcel De Maria

Gift of Bread
Committed. Inspiring. Compassionate

Driven by a spirit of compassion, Marcel De Maria has laboured to establish a charity that rescues thousands of surplus bread loaves and rolls every day and shares them with people in need. He started Gift of Bread in 2007, run entirely by volunteers they supply bread to more than 200 sites, including refuges, boarding houses, nursing homes, community groups, soup kitchens, food vans, special schools, churches and outreach programs. "It's important to extend the meaning of community, especially during hard times," says Marcel. Last year, Gift of Bread rescued over 160,000kg of bread from landfill. "The greenhouse gas emissions would be equivalent to 74.4 years of electricity for a home."

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