When a defence family hits crisis point, help often needs to arrive within days, not months. That is the gap Wounded Heroes Australia was built to close.
Who are Wounded Heroes Australia?
Wounded Heroes Australia is a national charity that provides emergency financial and practical support to current and former Australian Defence Force (ADF) members and their families. The organisation steps in when a veteran or serving member is facing financial hardship, homelessness or the risk of it, or family and domestic violence, offering support 24 hours a day, seven days a week, right across the country.
The charity was founded in 2007 by Jim Shapcott, a former Army reservist who saw firsthand how many defence families were struggling physically, mentally and financially, often in silence. What began as the Deployed Soldiers Welfare Association has grown into Wounded Heroes Australia, a Registered Australian Public Benevolent Institution with Deductible Gift Recipient (DGR) status, meaning every donation is tax deductible.
What does Wounded Heroes Australia do?
At its core, Wounded Heroes provides short-term emergency relief payments to veterans and ADF families who need urgent support, whether that is covering essential bills, preventing homelessness, or helping a family escape a dangerous situation. Beyond crisis payments, the charity runs a number of ongoing programs, including:
- HomelessHeroes, a raffle fundraiser supporting homeless veterans around Australia
- Food4Heroes and Business4Heroes, government-funded training programs that build job skills, from cooking and resume writing to teamwork and workplace communication
- Ride4Heroes, a community cycling initiative that raises funds for veteran support
- Snag in a Slice, a grassroots barbecue fundraising program run by community and sporting clubs
Why the support matters
Service in the ADF asks a great deal of the men and women who wear the uniform, and of the families who hold things together at home. Injury, illness or the strain of deployment can upend a household’s finances and stability almost overnight. Wounded Heroes Australia exists to make sure that when that happens, no veteran or defence family is left to navigate it alone.
How to donate
Every donation to Wounded Heroes Australia goes directly towards providing practical, dignified support to veterans and their families in crisis. Donations are tax deductible, and you can contribute directly through the Wounded Heroes Australia donation page.
Wounded Heroes Association Incorporated is a Registered Australian Public Benevolent Institution (No. 91 644 109 140), endorsed by the Australian Taxation Office as a Deductible Gift Recipient since 23 July 2014.
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