Where does your Legacy donation go?

By Jo Glazebrook

You walk up to the seller and ask, “Can I have a $10 Legacy badge please?”

They hand you the badge, you wear it for the day, maybe the week and then it goes in the drawer or the bin and you do it all over again next year.

Have you ever wondered what happens to your $10?

Legacy has been a part of my life for 41 years and 56 days. I am here today to tell you where your $10 has been going all these years and to implore you to keep giving to Legacy.

There are very few organisations you become a part of because something devastating happens to you.

For me and my three siblings our 40- year-old father died of a heart attack at home, while we were at school and mum was at work.

I was 11, my younger sister Helen, 9, my brother Peter, 12, and older sister Debbie, 17.

We came home and found him. The next few weeks were a blur of visitors, flowers, promises to visit and ‘take care of the kids’.

Once the flowers wilted and the house was quiet I remember feeling lonely.

Not long after, we met Mr Knight from Legacy.

I had no idea what Legacy was!

My father, Ronald Augustus Johnson, born May 13, 1942, died June 23,1982, was in the 3RAR.

He served in Malaya in the mid 60s. Mr Knight had also been in the army. He was really nice and really friendly and mum said he was going to send us to a camp during the Christmas holidays.

I soon discovered there were other kids just like me.

None of the kids at camp had dads. All their dads had been in the army or navy or air force and lots felt exactly as I did.

Suddenly I felt less alone and thankfully made lifelong friends over the many years of going to those camps.

Your $10 bought me safety, fun, friendship and respite for our mum.

The skills I learned at those camps helped me become a leader at other camps where I supported disadvantaged children.

I wanted to be just like the leaders who had cared for me and who loved figuring out how to connect with kids.

This led me to study teaching. Throughout high school Legacy was there paying for every book I needed and all my uniforms.

When I started university Legacy was there again paying for books and student union fees.

I was a targeted graduate.

I have been a teacher for 31 years. I was an assistant principal for 10 years and now I am a principal at Rowena Public School.

Your $10 bought me the opportunity at a secure, fulfilling career where I have an impact on the lives of hundreds of students and it bought a country principal.

My brother shares a very similar path to me.

He is also a principal. My sisters followed different paths to us but had Legacy support when needed.

My younger sister proudly marched in Tamworth in the Legacy Centenary Torch Relay presented by Defence.

It was a huge leap outside her comfort zone but she found the courage by remembering our father’s service and remembering how Legacy was there for us.

Legacy still gives to my family.

My mum has just recently been diagnosed with Alzheimers. It is early stages but things are not great.

Mum lives in Port Macquarie and a Legacy angel from heaven named Tracey visits her every week.

Tracey takes mum shopping and helps keep mum’s home clean.

She checks in on her and phones us when there is a problem.

Mum loves going to the Legacy Christmas parties where she gets an incredible hamper that sees her through the Christmas period.

Do you have any idea how thankful I am for Legacy?

Your $10 buys my mum some independence and my siblings and I reassurance.

Thankfully I am now in a position to give to Legacy.

I will never have enough money to pay back what Legacy has given me.

The security is priceless.

The friends are priceless.

The reassurance, priceless.

I try to imagine a world where no one needs Legacy. Where no one has to put their life on the line for our freedom and security. Where the horrors of war are only found in the history books.

Until that day arrives, mums, Debbies, Peters, Helens and Jos out there will continue to say, “Thank God for Legacy!”