Top Telstra executive Dr Phil Burgess told Anglicare's annual fundraising lunch on Friday that compassion was not just about giving money.
Dr Burgess, Telstra's group managing director of public policy and communications, emphasised that compassion at its root "is about one person personally involved in helping to meet the needs of another person".
Dr Burgess said that, as a "results-oriented non-profit" organisation, Anglicare responds to "real people with real solutions to real needs".
The American-born executive, who attends St Andrew's Cathedral with his wife Mary Sue, indicated that demonstrating compassion depends on active care, through initiatives such as emergency relief and foster care.
Foster carers John and Di Waddington spoke about the challenges and rewards of looking after young children, from a period of one night to 21 months.
"We love children " children keep you young," they said as they emotionally recalled the rewards they had found in looking after children who had come from violent situations or had problems containing anger or trusting people.
Anglicare's CEO, Peter Kell commented on the irony that, while Australians are living in a time of "unprecedented prosperity", human need continues.
"So it comes as a continuing surprise to many that despite this glowing report card there are still hundreds of thousands of Australians who continue to struggle to make ends meet."
Mr Kell said the low unemployment levels shown by the recent census results have contributed to a section of society that could be called the "working poor'
"Our low national unemployment figure masks just how casualised our workforce has become.
"Most of the people Anglicare assists are not unemployed, but simply underemployed."
The challenge 73 years after Anglicare's first Winter Appeal, according to Mr Kell, is "to ensure that no one, no family, is left behind".
