About ARMS (Australian Relief & Mercy Services Ltd)

Poverty is a trap that people find very hard to break out of. The world's poorest families are the ones who have the worst health care, the lowest standards of education and the highest child mortality rates. They often earn meager wages and are easily exploited. At ARMS we think that this is not good enough and we are seeking ways in which we can positively affect poor communities through innovative ideas and creative kindness.

ARMS is a Christian Aid and Development Organization that seeks to reach out to the poor and the needy with the love and compassion of God. We hope that the things we do will reflect the faith we have in Jesus. ARMS is the mercy ministries arm of Youth With A Mission Australia and uses the international resources of YWAM to provide humanitarian relief and developmental assistance to those in need. ARMS has projects both within Australia and overseas.

The Donna McDermid Memorial Fund is a project of ARMS that seeks to address issues relating to gender injustice and sexual abuse in the Developing World. The fund seeks to identify project that it can assist through the granting of financial as well as the provision of resources.

ARMS is a member of the Australian Council For International Development Aid (ACFID) and is a signatory to the ACFID Code Of Conduct, a document that lays down nationally accepted standards for accountability, governance, and financial integrity.

ARMS is also a member of World Relief Australia, a consortium of smaller Australian aid and development agencies that are working in the developing world amongst the poor, the needy, and the marginalized. We are also a member of the Micah Challenge a global campaign against poverty that deepens engagement with impoverished communities; and challenges international leaders to achieve the Millennium Development Goals, and so halve absolute global poverty by 2015!

At this time ARMS does not receive any government funding nor is it funded by any one body, but rather relies on the generosity of churches, the corporate sector, small business, and the general public for the finances needed to perform its ministry.

ARMS has tax deductibility status on all its projects that are run within Australia and has many projects it runs overseas that also attract gift deductibility status from the Australian Tax Office. Donations made to ARMS by donors in the United States and Canada are also fully tax deductible.