Christmas is a time to share joy with others. This year, OBrien Real Estate is sharing joy with MacKillop Family Services, supporting foster children and families and making a meaningful impact within our community.
MacKillop Family Services conducts an annual Gift Appeal, where the public can donate gifts for foster children and their families. Last year, OBrien Real Estate donated $5,370 which went towards purchasing gifts for adolescents within their care. The HQ team visited MacKillop Family Services in South Melbourne to present the donation, as well as to listen to the history of the organisation and the heartfelt stories of foster children who have been supported by them. After forging a bond with MacKillop, OBrien has offered ongoing support throughout 2025.
Throughout this year, the OBrien network has supported 13 children with 40 swimming lessons each, valued at a total of $15,600. Additionally, Andrew Martin hosted Sam Patterson, Director of Community Engagement at MacKillop Family Services, and Kaisha, a former foster child, on ‘The People Behind Property’ podcast. He discussed Kaisha’s journey as a foster child and how MacKillop Family Services has supported her and kids like her.
This Christmas, we asked our offices to donate presents for their Christmas Gift Appeal. There was an overwhelming amount of presents that were delivered to the OBrien HQ office in South Melbourne, taking the MacKillop team two car trips to deliver them back to their Headquarters. It was truly amazing to see such a vast array of gifts, suited for a wide range of children; from babies and toddlers all the way up to young adults.
On Thursday 11 December, the OBrien HQ team volunteered at the MacKillop Gift Appeal, where support workers and foster parents were invited to choose presents for the children in their care. It was a great opportunity for the team to assist these carers in choosing gifts, as well as hear about the children they look after and how we can better support them in years to come.
OBrien Real Estate looks forward to continuing to partner with MacKillop Family Services in achieving their mission to empower children and families. We thank those a part of the OBrien network who contributed to this cause, and sharing the joy of Christmas with those less fortunate.
If you would like to support MacKillop or learn more about their services, click here.