“When you have more than you need, build a longer  table, not a higher fence” – unknown

Love having your mates round for dinner and doing good for kids in the community?
Many children entering the out of home care system arrive at their placement with nothing but the clothes they are wearing. This is not only stressful for the child, but also presents a very real financial cost of taking on a placement to the carer.

You can help! Host an ‘Extend Your Table’ dinner
Have a great time and raise funds to help A Better Life For Foster Kids provide Crisis Cases containing a week’s worth of clothing, hygiene items and comforting toys to kids entering out of home care.

What is Extend Your Table?

Just as foster and kinship carers extend their table to include more hungry little people and teens (and we know most teens count for more than one mouth!), we’re asking you to host a dinner party, lunchtime BBQ or big brekky and feed all your favourite people.

You’ll ask your guests to donate what they can to A Better Life For Foster Kids.

It’s easy and there are many ways to involve your guests in the event:

  • Each guest could bring a dish to share
  • Have a picnic or other outdoor COVID-safe event
  • Have a casserole night
  • Drinks and nibbles platter soirée
  • Dessert buffet
  • Ask guests to bring a wrapped gift to be used as a raffle prize
  • There is no limit to what can be shared at your table.
  • Why not invite a few neighbours that you haven’t met yet? Or extend your table to your local sporting club?
  • If you run a business, you could invite your customers!

Your imagination is the limit! How can you extend your table?


Follow the 4 steps below to set up your event, and contact us if you need any assistance.

If you would like to be a host, please set up your Extend Your Table event on GiveNow here and add A Better Life For Foster Kids as your Cause. (You can use the text on the right in your GiveNow crowdraiser setup and grab one of the photos from this page, or use your own).

Once you’re set up, you’ll get a crowdraiser link. This is where your guests can make their donations, so make sure you keep your link handy!

Organise the date of your event and send your invite to attendees. We’ve provided some text you can adapt below to send as an email/text.

EMAIL: You are invited to a special Extend Your Table event on [date and time], hosted by yours truly, to raise funds for A Better Life For Foster Kids.

I’ll be cooking you a truly memorable breaky/lunch/dinner, and all you have to do is let me know if you can come, turn up to [location], donate what you can through this link: [insert the link of your GiveNow event page], eat, drink and be merry! All funds raised through our meal will go towards A Better Life For Foster Kids’ services which provide Crisis Cases full of clothing and care essentials children entering out of home care, furniture packages for carers and care leavers, and advocacy and advice for carers.

TEXT MSG:I’m inviting you to a special Extend Your Table dinner/breaky/lunch on [date and time], to raise funds for A Better Life For Foster Kids at [location]. Let me know if you can come, donate what you can through this link: [insert the link of your GiveNow event page], eat, drink and be merry.

Cook something delicious and enjoy it with your guests. Remind your guests to donate what they can. Share a link to our Information sheet for guests and hosts or print it out if you’d like some conversational prompts around who A Better Life For Foster Kids helps and what you’re raising funds for.

Share on Social Media! We’re all fans of a big cook up! We would love to see your creations and photos of your event. Feel free to tag us in Facebook photos and use the hashtag #ExtendYourTable to help us grow this awesome DIY event!

Copy the below into your GiveNow crowdraiser!

 The experiences of most children who are removed from their homes for their own safety are unimaginable for most of us. A BETTER LIFE FOR FOSTER KIDS INC makes the lives of children in out of home care and the job of their carers a little easier by making sure they have clothes, hygiene essentials and everything else they need for their first week in out of home care. They provide furniture essentials for care, an annual camp for carers and children, and advice and advocacy for carers.  I am fundraising to help them reach even more carers and children.

Please support their work by donating to my CrowdRaiser, as I know they will appreciate every cent received. And I will be very grateful for your contribution too!   Here are some of the ways your donations are helping kids in care and their carers: $30 can provide a new pair of pyjamas and some hygiene essentials for kids and youth entering out of home care.
$155 can provide a Crisis Case with everything needed to get kids through their first week in care.
$120 sponsors accommodation for a carer and a child at our annual camp. The camp provides courage-building activities for kids, and provides pampering and professional advice to carers, as well as the time to connect with other carers.
$180 can help a young person transitioning out of out of home care to stock up with essential groceries
$200 can provide a child in out of home care with financial support through our Others Do Care fund, to allow them to take part in normal childhood activities such as sporting trips and learning a musical instrument, or can pay for care necessities such as trips to the dentist.

Read more about A Better Life For Foster Kids Inc here: http://abetterlifeforfosterkids.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/EXTEND-YOUR-TABLE-Information-for-Guests1.pdf
Please share the link to this CrowdRaiser page to your friends and family. The more people who can help the better!

Thank you,  


How else can I help?

You can ask your guests to bring along any lightly used children’s clothing to donate, or a gift to donate to our Christmas Gift Drive. Contact heather@abetterlifeforfosterkids.org.au for drop off details.

You could also hold a raffle at your Extend A Table Meal, and donate proceeds to A Better Life For Foster Kids!

How are our donations helping?

Here are some of the ways your donations are helping kids in care and their carers:

$30 can provide a new pair of pyjamas and some hygiene essentials for kids and youth entering out of home care.


$155 can provide a Crisis Case with everything needed to get kids through their first week in care.


$120 sponsors accommodation for a carer and a child at our annual camp. The camp provides courage-building activities for kids, and provides pampering and professional advice to carers, as well as the time to connect with other carers.


$180 can help a young person transitioning out of out of home care to stock up with essential groceries


$200 can provide a child in out of home care with financial support through our Others Do Care fund, to allow them to take part in normal childhood activities such as sporting trips and learning a musical instrument, or can pay for care necessities such as trips to the dentist.

You can read more about A Better Life For Foster Kids’ range of services for kids and carers here or download our information sheet for hosts and guests here.

Still got questions?

Email us at heather@abetterlifeforfosterkids.org.au