Our annual Giving Back campaign once again brought members and their communities together to service those less fortunate in their communities. According to Mission Australia, over three million Australians live in poverty, with one in six children affected. In these conditions, Christmas and the accompanying festivities can become less joyful and more stressful.
There are many great services and charities dedicated to ensuring those most vulnerable within Australian communities can enjoy this time of year! By participating in the ACA’s annual Giving Back Campaign, the Australian chiropractic community has also played their part in spreading Christmas cheer to the less fortunate in their community.
We want to extend our warmest thanks to the chiropractic practices nationwide who participated in the initiative this year.
- Bendigo Chiropractic Centre
- Rainbow Chiropractic
- Bayswater Chiropractic
- Lotus Chiropractic
- Body & Brain Centre
- Ohana Family Chiropractic
- Gisborne Chiropractic Clinic
- Simply Health Chiropractic
- Family Tree Health
- Horizon Chiropractic
- Sea and Sand Chiropractic Pty Ltd
- Balance Health and Performance
- Port Stephens Chiropractic
- The Family Chiro
- Burnie Bayside Chiropractic
- Ashgrove Chiropractic Clinic
- Noosa Junction Chiropractic
- Suncoast Chiropractic
- Care Chiropractic Queensland
- Pimpama Family Chiropractic Clinic
- The Spine Centre
- North Cairns Chiropractic
- Adelaide Chiropractic Centre
- Chelsea Chiropractic and Wellness
- Mandurah Health Chiropractic
- Southern Family Chiropractic
- Farmer Chiropractic
- North Brisbane Chiropractic
- Chiropractic Life
As part of their involvement in this year’s Giving Back Campaign, these practices provided donations to charities such as Vinnies, the Salvation Army, Helping Hands Mission, and FoodBank, with others opting to funnel their donations into local charities.
Dr Anthony Coxon from Simply Health Chiropractic describes the campaign as a “fun and worthwhile project, and our patients love to get involved.”
2024 marked Simply Health Chiropractic’s fifth consecutive year participating in Giving Back, with Dr Coxon noting the practice’s chosen charity, the Salvation Army, is always “very appreciative of the large number of toys and non-perishable foods they receive.”
While typically associated with December, the campaign kicks off mid-November in the Simply Health Chiropractic clinic with an email to patients and the assembly of a Christmas tree.
“Many patients ask why we are putting up a tree so early, and that’s a great opportunity to talk about the Giving Back campaign. Of course, the Giving Back poster helps too,” Dr Coxon explains.
“We don’t do a specific day, but rather invite patients to donate gifts and foods over a 3–4-week period. Collection Day for the Salvos this year was 13 December, to give them time to distribute to families in need.”
Andrea Thompson, practice manager at Lotus Chiropractic in Victoria, believes that even after 18 years of participation, the momentum for the Giving Back campaign never slows. “Each year it gets bigger and bigger,” she says.
As in recent years, 2024 saw the practice provide donations to Mums Supporting Families, with Lotus Chiropractic “blown away with the generosity of our community!”
In the week leading up to the practice’s big celebration on 30 November, the atmosphere was charged with generosity, climaxing in a day brimming with joy. “It was a day full of fun, and seeing the children visit Santa brought plenty of smiles,” she recalls, humorously adding that there were “a few tears” mixed in with the laughter.
“Our Lotus team dress up in festive costumes and always bring their all-in energy and enthusiasm for the day,” Ms Thompson explains.
While the excitement around 30 November is palpable, she reveals that her most enjoyable part of the week begins once the festivities end.
“My favourite part is always arriving with my car packed to the hilt with the donations and seeing the beaming faces of the team at MSFIN – especially this year after they lost a lot of Christmas stock to flood damage when the roof of their warehouse collapsed in.”
At a time of year characterised by joy and happiness, Giving Back offers the chiropractic community a chance to funnel the festive positive into the lives of those less fortunate in their community.