Variety the Children's Charity, each year asks families in financial stress to apply for grants for education supplies and technology.
This year, the charity was stunned to receive almost 10 times the usual applications, a sign of the times as the twin storms of COVID lockdown and financial pressure hit hard.
Variety CEO Vanessa Barry said the charity received a record 1435 applications for the We Learn grants compared to 162 the same time last year.
"The grant opened at a time when children across the country were learning from home and families were under huge pressure with home-schooling," she said.
"Some families had one lap-top at home, if they were lucky. If they had two or three children learning from home, that was a lot of pressure for families. Families were also experiencing financial stress so it wasn't a good time to go out and buy a lap top."
Variety ended up funding 1185 grants, including providing 875 laptops to children across the nation.
In the ACT, 42 children received just over $18,600 in technology such as laptops and iPads as well as funds for school uniforms, textbooks and school excursions. The grants were for families who had a gross household income of under $70,000.
"Really, any eligible application, we found a way to fund it. We didn't want any children being left out," Mrs Barry said.
Harvey Norman supplied the laptops and Big W provided the educational supplies, making sure the extra need was able to be met by Variety.
"I'm delighted we could help," Mrs Barry said.
"That's our whole purpose - to make sure each child reaches their full potential and no child is left out."
Conder mum-of-four Lisa Macdonald Holmes was struggling to home school her two older children with one laptop that she and her husband Michael also had to share. Michael is caretaker and driver at an embassy while Lisa is at home caring for the children, two of whom have disabilities.
"Being able to home school two children on one laptop and an iPad was really difficult because they were arguing over the laptop or arguing over the iPad. It just wasn't working," she said.
"So, in the end, we borrowed laptops from school, which they were very lucky to be able to use."
Lisa, especially, wanted to help out her oldest son Dylan, nine, who often goes without as his brothers often require more attention. His parents couldn't provide a laptop for him to use at school in year three so he had to borrow one for school as well.
"Because we're on a single income, and it's a low income, we just can't afford these extra things," she said.
"So when I saw this Variety grant, I thought it could really help us."
The laptops for Dylan and Braden arrived this week, in time for term four and a fresh start next year. Dylan could take his to school just like his friends. Braden, six, who has an intellectual disability, now also had his allied health information on his own computer.
"Dylan was just so excited. For him, it's going to make a huge impact."
