Organization
Cambodian Rice Run
Cambodian Rice Run (CRR) is an Australian charity that supports families and children in Siem Reap, Cambodia, with food, housing, medical care and financial aid.[1] It works alongside local organizations such as ABCs & Rice and Building Communities Cambodia.[1] It was registered with the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission (ACNC) in 2020, as Cambodian Rice Run Limited, and was granted deductible gift recipient (DGR) status in 2021.[1][2]
History
The charity began in 2017 with Marita and Todd Holyoak-Tarrant, who wanted to give help in person in Cambodia rather than only donate from afar.[3][4] They teamed up with ABCs & Rice for a food relief drop. The first "rice run" set out to deliver 100 bags of rice and delivered 194.[3]
Marita and Barb then began raising money for a trip planned for May 2020. When COVID-19 cancelled the trip, the group used the funds for monthly food relief instead.[3] By mid-2020 Marita's cousin Jane Fulton had joined the leadership, and the group became an official charity in October 2020.[3][4] On October 10, 2021, it held a charity walk and run of 10 or 20 kilometers (about 6 or 12 miles) from Campbelltown Memorial Oval along Linear Park to the city and back.[5]
Programs
As of 2026 the charity runs four main programs: Lunches with Love, Reverse Tuition, the Kid Care Medical Outreach and Education Clinic, and Family Sponsorships.[4] Its local coordinator in Cambodia, Piset Momk, organizes house builds, food deliveries and emergency support. He also runs his own school and leads Lunches with Love.[3][4]
Reverse Tuition gives families up to 5 kilograms (about 11 pounds) of rice a month for sending their children to school, with the amount based on each child's attendance. It aims to keep children in class rather than working for food. Each month it reaches 200 to 250 children at the ABCs & Rice school.[1][6][7] Lunches with Love delivers school lunches twice a week, prepared by a Khmer cook the charity employs, and supporters sponsor a child's lunches with a weekly payment.[1][6] Food Packs give families a hamper of groceries such as sauces, salt, sugar and laundry powder.[6]
The medical clinic is staffed by a Khmer nurse the charity employs. It provides free care to the local community and to more than 200 children at ABCs & Rice.[1][3][6] Family sponsorships give short- or long-term help with rent, medical costs, food and the costs of starting a small business, and they support more than 40 families. Each of the directors holds a family sponsorship. House builds provide safe, permanent homes for families in need, and emergency assistance raises money for small projects when partner charities face a crisis.[1][3][6]
Fundraising
The charity holds fundraisers throughout the year in South Australia, Tasmania, Cambodia and online, among them high teas and raffles.[8][7] In 2026 these included a Father's Day raffle drawn on September 1, the annual high tea at Claremont Golf Course in Hobart on September 13, and a tour of Cambodia in November.[8] The charity states that all donations to a project go to the families, and that its overheads, such as insurance and bank fees, are paid from community fundraisers.[3][7] Donations over $2 are tax-deductible in Australia.[7]
Leadership (2026)
The charity is run by a volunteer board of three directors, based in South Australia and Tasmania, with a coordinator in Cambodia.[4][3]
- Todd Holyoak-Tarrant, director and chairperson
- Marita Holyoak-Tarrant, director; coordinator of Kid Care and Reverse Tuition
- Jane Fulton, director; treasurer and coordinator of fundraising and family sponsorships
- Piset Momk, Community Programs Coordinator (Cambodia)
See also
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 Cambodian Rice Run, home page
- ↑ Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission, Cambodian Rice Run Limited
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 3.7 3.8 Cambodian Rice Run, Our Story
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 Cambodian Rice Run, About
- ↑ Walking SA, Cambodian Rice Run: Walking for Cambodia (2021)
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 Cambodian Rice Run, Projects
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 Cambodian Rice Run, Donate
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Cambodian Rice Run, Events and Fundraisers