The Lyone Foundation, founded by the Lyone family – owners of COS, has donated a further $57,000 to three inspiring Australian charities as part of its goal to donate $1 million each year to help disadvantaged, vulnerable and marginalised Australians.
Since its creation in 2013, the Lyone Foundation has raised a donation pool of over $3 million. This latest round of funds will be donated to three well-deserving Australian charities, each receiving $19,000.
The charities to receive funding are Feel the Magic Foundation, the country’s leading grief education and support program, Soldier On, which provides support and services to veterans and their families, and The Gold Foundation, which provides support for young people with Asperger Syndrome.
COS Managing Director and Founder of the Lyone Foundation, Dominique Lyone, said, “Giving back and sharing our success with the wider community is a big part of the culture at COS. When my family first immigrated to Australia in 1967 after fleeing Egypt following the Six Day War, we received a lot of help from charities. Honouring this help and paying it forward is the essence of the Lyone Foundation.”
“The Lyone Foundation is funded by COS’ profits each year and we choose a range of different charities that are doing inspiring work to Australians facing challenging times,” said Lyone.
The Lyone Foundation is part of the fabric of COS, with COS’ 350 employees across Australia involved in deciding how funds will be distributed to each charity.
The selected charities will use the funds accordingly:
- Feel the Magic Foundation: The funds will go towards enabling grieving children to attend its Camp Magic program, at no cost to their families, which offers children a safe place to explore and understand their grief with a focus on guiding them to develop resilience.
- Soldier On: Dedicated to assisting veterans re-adjust to normal life, the funds will help pay for workshops to assist veterans manage emotional and mental health issues while providing opportunities to reconnect with their families.
- The Gold Foundation: The funds donated will facilitate bi-annual social skills programs for children suffering from Asperger Syndrome. These programs will provide one-on-one learning opportunities and mentoring as well as support for children and their families.