Puddle Jumpers Incorporated

💛 We arrived as strangers and left with a little piece of our hearts staying in Bali.

During our visit to Bali Kids Orphange, we were reminded just how much connection is possible without sharing the same language. It was our first time meeting these beautiful children, yet in such a short time, genuine relationships began to form and so much love was shared.

A smile, a laugh, a moment of kindness, simply being present together… sometimes these say more than words ever could. 💛

Watching our Puddle Jumpers volunteers connect with the children made us incredibly proud. They brought warmth, patience and open hearts, and the children shared so much warmth right back. We are so fortunate to have volunteers who give so much of themselves wherever they go.

Thank you to the children and the Bali Kids team for welcoming us and sharing such a special time with us. It is a visit we will carry with us long after coming home.

And while our visit has ended, their need for support continues. If you would love to help, their published wishlist includes:

💛 Extra-soft nappies in sizes L and XL, and sensitive baby wipes.
💛 New toiletries, including soft toothbrushes, toothpaste, shampoo and body wash.
💛 Food such as fresh fruit and vegetables, eggs, pasta and cooking oil.
💛 Washing powder, dishwashing liquid and household cleaning supplies.
💛 Single fitted sheets, towels and bath mats.

Please check with Bali Kids before shopping or arranging a delivery, as needs change. Their wishlist currently asks people not to bring clothing, toys, sweets or chocolate.

👉 Check their wishlist: balikids.org/wishlist

👉 Make a financial donation: balikids.org/donate — this page explains how to support Bali Kids through Global Development Group, project J718.

Whether you can give once, support regularly or share their details with someone who can help, you can keep that care going.

Different languages, a first meeting, and so much love shared. What a privilege to have been welcomed into their day. 💛

💛 A proud moment for our Puddle Jumpers community!

We’re honoured to be a finalist in the Positive Impact category of the 2026 SA Child Protection & Family Support Awards! 🌟

Behind this recognition are our incredible volunteers, staff, supporters and the children and families who trust us to be part of their lives. Together, we create opportunities for children to feel safe, build confidence, make memories and know they belong.

Thank you to the Department for Child Protection SA for this lovely spotlight, and Lutheran Care for sponsoring the award. Congratulations to all the finalists—we’re in wonderful company!

Because kids matter. 💛

FSAwards

⭐ Finalist spotlight ⭐

A big shout out to Puddle Jumpers Incorporated, a finalist in the Positive Impact category of the SA Child Protection & Family Support Awards 👏

Each year, its camps, mentoring and leadership programs help more than 650 vulnerable children build confidence, resilience and lasting connections.

Best of luck at this Friday's awards!

Award sponsor: Lutheran Care

🧁✨ FRESH CUPCAKE DELIVERY! ✨🧁

The Cupcake Man is back! 💛

Our fabulous volunteer John has delivered another batch of his delicious homemade cupcakes for the kids and families at our Food Hubs!

John is one of those wonderful people who always manages to put a smile on the kids’ faces, and his cupcake deliveries are definitely a much-loved treat! 🥰🧁

They look absolutely DELICIOUS, and we know they won’t last long!

A huge thank you to John for continuing to share his time, kindness and baking talents with Puddle Jumpers. We are so lucky to have you! 💛

🧠 Got a mate who knows absolutely everything? Time to make them useful! 😂

Get your crew together for a Quiz Night for Puddle Jumpers — a big night of trivia, music, laughs and friendly competition, helping us get back on our feet after the fire. 💙

Hosted by the wonderful Matthew Vercoe and Alix Gloede, there’ll be fun challenges, special guests, prizes, a raffle and a live auction!

🎶 Live music as you arrive from Chris & Katie at Manor Road Music
🎧 Tunes from DJ Tania at Choons & Moovs
📸 Memories (and questionable poses!) captured by Lover Photobooth

📅 Tuesday 27 October 2026
📍 Plant 4 Bowden
🚪 Doors open 5pm | Quiz starts 6pm
🎟️ Adults $20 | Kids $10

Plant 4’s eateries and bar will be open for food and drink purchases — no BYO food or drinks.

Every ticket helps us continue supporting vulnerable children, young people and families across South Australia. A huge thank you to everyone helping bring this night together. ❤️

Local businesses: keen to donate a raffle prize or auction item? Send us a message — we’d love your support!

👇 Book your tickets and tag your trivia team!
https://www.trybooking.com/DQEXC

📣 FOOD HUB UPDATE FOR TONIGHT

Sorry, everyone! We’ve made the difficult decision not to open our Northern Food Hub at Bagster Road Community Centre tonight, as we don’t have enough volunteers. With school holidays underway, some of our regular team members are away. 💛

Our Western Food Hub is OPEN tonight:
📍 266A Port Road, Hindmarsh
⏰ 5–7pm
🍽️ Free meals and food support — you’re very welcome to join us!

🙋 Keen to volunteer in the north or west?
We’d love some extra hands at either hub! Whether you can help regularly or spare a few hours during the holidays, please send us a message. There’s plenty to help with, from setting up to serving meals and packing down.

Please share so people know about tonight’s change — and help us find a few more wonderful people to join the team! 💛

🍐 How do you like them apples… and pears?! 🍎

A huge thank you to lovely Christine from the Adelaide markets for this beautiful donation of fresh fruit for Puddle Jumpers! 💛

These crates of goodness will help us put fresh, healthy food into the hands of local families, making lunchboxes a little fuller and grocery budgets stretch a little further.

We’re so grateful to the people who think of our families and turn that kindness into something we can share.

Christine, you’re a pearler! 🍐💛

🚨 ONLY 4 VOLUNTEERS FOR MONDAY NIGHT — WE NEED YOUR HELP! 🚨

Our Puddle Jumpers Food Hub at Bagster Road Community Centre, Salisbury North, has just four volunteers available Monday night , and we need a few more helping hands to support our local families. 💛

Keen to join the team?

📦 From 3pm — setting up.
🍽️ From 5pm — food service.
🧹 Finish by 8pm — including packing up.

Even an hour would help take the pressure off our small crew. No experience needed — just a willingness to pitch in, and we’ll show you the ropes!

Ideally, you’ll have a Working with Children Check (WWCC). If you don’t, message us — we can help you apply and chat about how you can get involved.

💬 Please message us if you can help and let us know what time you’re available.

Can’t come? Please share this post. Four pairs of hands can only do so much — a few more could make a world of difference! 💛

🥦 GOT AN HOUR TODAY? LETTUCE PUT IT TO GOOD USE! 😄💛

Our Sunday market crew helps bring food back for Puddle Jumpers families, and we need a few extra hands TODAY!

No experience needed—just a willingness to pitch in. Come for an hour or stay for a few; every pair of hands helps get food onto someone’s table. 🙌

Pick your spot to jump in:

🚚 11:30 am — Kilkenny warehouse
Help us get ready and head out to the markets.

🥕 12:30 pm — Sunday markets
Join the crew collecting and loading food.

📦 Around 3 pm — Back at our food warehouse
Help unload the trucks and bring the goodness inside!

🚛 Can you drive a truck? We’d especially love to hear from you! We have a couple of trucks needing drivers to get to the markets today.

💬 Message us with the time you can help and we’ll send you the meeting details. We can also pop you into our Sunday market volunteers’ Messenger chat.

Bring a mate, meet some good eggs and help us bring home the veg! 💛

Three weeks since the fire. Less than a week until camp. We are keeping going—but it is hard. 💙

Three weeks ago, fire devastated our Hindmarsh op shop. Since then, our team has been working to recover while continuing to support the children, families and community members who rely on us.

And so much of that work has continued.

💙 Our food hubs have continued operating, with services largely unaffected.
💙 Additional food relief to emergency accommodation hotels and hospitals has continued.
💙 Our young leaders’ self-funded Bali trip has gone ahead, including visiting and supporting an orphanage.
💙 Camp planning and student placements have continued.

Across our team, we have collectively worked more hours than usual over these past three weeks—keeping services going while managing the loss, finding alternatives and following up requests for help.

Please don’t mistake services continuing for the impact being small. Behind that continuity are people giving extra hours, carrying extra responsibilities and working incredibly hard to make sure our community does not miss out.

Our work supports people connected with a wide range of government departments, agencies and services. When our capacity is affected, it has consequences for the children, young people, families, carers and individuals we support, and the services working alongside them.

We appreciate the discussions with the South Australian Government and the Department of Human Services (DHS) and the offers to help. Three weeks after the fire, however, we are still awaiting concrete outcomes on our requests for:

📦 Suitable storage for donations, equipment and essential supplies.

🏠 A replacement shopfront to help rebuild the income that supports our services.

💙 Funding to ease the immediate burden, replace essential equipment and keep our programs running.

We have submitted requests and followed up. We now need those offers of assistance to become practical support, with clear timeframes.

Our camp is supposed to start in less than a week. Planning is continuing because we know how much those days of friendship, belonging and fun mean to the children coming.

But keeping everything moving through a crisis takes a toll. The commitment of our volunteers and team is enormous. Their extra effort should not hide how urgently support is needed.

To everyone who has donated, volunteered, shared our appeal or provided practical help—thank you. You have helped us keep going through three incredibly difficult weeks, and we are deeply grateful.

If you can help fund our recovery, please donate here:
https://puddle-jumpers-recovery.raiselysite.com/

If you have suitable storage or a shopfront available, or can connect us directly with someone who does, please message us. Sharing this appeal helps too.

We are determined to keep showing up for our community. We need practical support to make that sustainable. 💙

Children cannot put their childhoods on hold while adults work out what happens next. 💙

The ABC’s reporting about staff stood down within South Australia’s child protection department raises serious questions. Being stood down does not automatically mean wrongdoing, and fair processes matter. But this conversation must also focus on what children need—and whether we are delivering it.

Permanency matters. Children deserve safe, stable homes, lasting relationships and a sense of belonging. They deserve timely, thoughtful decisions that put their wellbeing first. Growing up with uncertainty about where you belong should never become something we simply accept.

Their voices matter. Children deserve to have their concerns taken seriously and to be meaningfully involved in decisions about their lives. Listening must lead to action. Their voices should help shape the support they receive.

Funding matters. Camps, practical assistance, supportive relationships and opportunities to simply be a kid all contribute to children’s wellbeing. Programs like ours need reliable funding to keep showing up for the children who count on them.

Community organisations cannot meet growing need on goodwill alone. Volunteers give extraordinary amounts of time and care, but services also need equipment, food, transport and resources.

We recognise the dedicated people working across child protection and community services. They deserve proper support, training and resources, alongside strong oversight and accountability.

We need decisions that prioritise children’s safety, protect their relationships and give them a future they can feel secure in.

Come on. We can… and must…. do better for our children.

Their safety matters. Their belonging matters. Their voices matter. And their childhoods are happening right now. 💙