We are excited to announce Sarah Hamilton from Special Olympics Melbourne Inner East as your 2023 Westfield Local Hero for Doncaster!

Westfield is proud to award a community grant of $20K to help Sarah and Special Olympics Melbourne Inner East to continue to grow their impact in the local community

The 2023 Westfield Local Heroes program will award 126 grants across Australia and New Zealand – totalling $1.26 million to support local communities.

For further information or to discover the Westfield Local Heroes at other Westfield centres, visit the Westfield Local Heroes website.

---

Your 2023 Westfield Doncaster Local Hero is:

Sarah Hamilton

Special Olympics Melbourne Inner East

Warm. Engaging. Inclusive.

Sarah Hamilton is a caring coach for athletes with intellectual disability, not only helping with sport but also bringing joy and helping them make friends.

Sarah Hamilton's life took a transformative turn through a neighbour’s daughter with an intellectual disability (ID). Moved by the challenges faced by individuals with ID, Sarah felt compelled to make a difference.

Sarah is a much-loved volunteer trainer at Special Olympics Melbourne Inner East. Sarah was appointed the State Soccer Team Manager for the 2022 Special Olympics National Games, leading teams to gold at the Special Olympics National Games.

Sarah grabbed the opportunity to volunteer after a friend asked her to take her intellectually disabled daughter to Special Olympics. It was a life-changing experience. She was blown away by how animated the athletes became and how the coaches ensured everyone had a sense of achievement and belonging.

Sarah loves seeing her athletes gain confidence and make friends. She is delighted that some with higher intellectual capability have started catching public transport to training and are seeking employment.
Sarah feels honoured to be nominated as a Westfield Local Hero. “It thrills me to help the athletes feel accomplished in sport and to be part of a social network.”

Special Olympics Melbourne Inner East will use its funds to hire coaching staff and buy equipment.

---

We'd like to thank and acknowledge our finalists who will receive a $5K grant for the organisation they represent...

Emma Tucker from Eastern Food Rescue

Emma Tucker is the founder of Eastern Food Rescue, which she has built into a formidable network of volunteers, businesses and struggling families. Driven by a disdain for waste, Emma has inspired 70 volunteers to collect excess food from more than 20 supermarkets to feed more than one thousand people a week.

Maxine Gross You Matter

Maxine Gross gave up her business career to lead an army of volunteers who create fully equipped safe homes for survivors of family violence. Maxine is the CEO and co-founder of You Matter, which has set up 150 havens for women and their children and saved thousands of items from landfill.

---

If you need support, please phone Lifeline: 13 11 14

Recognising all our 2023 nominees

View all of the Westfield Doncaster nominees and their organisations.