Runaway Bay Centre is proud to partner with Stationery Aid in January – a local charity founded in Queensland by Alison and Jan Schutt.
Find out more here:
How It Started
Stationery Aid was founded in 2020 by Alison and Jan Schutt, who saw two problems at once: large amounts of perfectly usable school stationery being thrown away and many students starting school without the basic tools they needed. They began with a simple goal — to rescue excess and gently used school stationery supplies that would otherwise go to landfill, and redistribute it to children and families experiencing hardship.
Their pilot program in 2020, involving 17 schools and community partners, collected so much surplus that they produced reached 106 students with booklists, while diverting dozens of large recycling bins’ worth of supplies from landfill.
Purpose and Mission
Stationery Aid’s core mission is to relieve poverty and educational disadvantage by providing essential school supplies — like pens, pencils, exercise books, art materials, text books and more — to students who go without. At the same time, the organisation promotes environmental responsibility by reducing waste and supporting reuse and recycling.
Their vision is a future where no child is held back from learning for lack of basic supplies, and where sustainable, community-driven action benefits both people and planet. Stationery Aid
How It Works
– Collection & Renewal: Stationery Aid partners with schools, businesses, and community groups to collect surplus and gently used stationery. With our network of community partners, including youth justice and correction centres, these items are sorted, cleaned, refurbished and repacked into booklists or stationery kits.
– Distribution: The packs are then distributed to disadvantaged students and families across Queensland — and increasingly beyond — helping them start the school year equipped and confident.
– Volunteering & Skills: Volunteers — including youth, community members, and trainees — help sort and pack supplies, gaining valuable skills and contributing to their communities.
Growth and Impact
Since its founding, Stationery Aid has grown significantly:
- Supported thousands of students with complete booklists – tools to learn for an entire year at school
- Established collection points across Queensland and partnerships (including with Officeworks Bring It Back Program across all stores)
- Diverted tonnes of usable stationery from landfill.
- Partnered with schools, charities and community organisations to extend reach into regional and remote communities.
The charity has also benefited from broader fundraising efforts — for example being selected for the Officeworks Make a Difference Appeal, which raised over $71,000 to support its work in 2024.
Why It Matters
Stationery Aid addresses education equity, community wellbeing, and environmental sustainability simultaneously. By reusing perfectly good school supplies, the charity reduces waste and ensures that children in hardship have the tools they need to learn and thrive — helping to break cycles of disadvantage and contributing to wider social and environmental goals. Stationery Aid
If you’re interested in supporting, making a financial donation or learning more, their official website has details on volunteering, donation drop-offs and partnership opportunities https://stationeryaid.org/
