COVID-19 has proved no match for Wallan community group Love in Action, as they continue to support vulnerable families.
Founding member Jeremy Scrivens said the group had been overwhelmed with donations and people could continue to contribute.
He said people could donate basics like toiletries, cereal, pasta, spreads, flour, coffee and tea, and leave the donations in a designated spot outside of LJ Hooker.
Donations can also be dropped off at the community group’s new home at the former office of the Bendigo Bank in Wellington Street.
“It’s rather special that at a time when the community and people are struggling, people are losing their jobs, but at the same time they’re giving what they can,” Mr Scrivens said.
Mr Scrivens said the group had been working with other organisations including their partner group, Love in Action Broadford.
“We are having great co-operation from a number of organisations including the Mitchell Shire Council,” he said.
“Council is basically looking to keep their people busy during this time, so they asked if we want help and we said yes.
“A member of their team drove to Baywater to pick up Sukin toiletries and they’ve helped us move food and supplies around.”
Mr Scrivens said they had also re-established their partnership with the Sikh community group to deliver hot meals to Wallan families.
“We are really asking the community to dig deep now, every Monday we put our requests for which products we need on our Facebook page,” he said.
“They’re just the basic items you’d put into your trolley to feed your family, other than non-perishables.
“It’s worth mentioning the extraordinary amount of generosity we’ve been seeing, people who are doing it tough, instead of buying two jars of something and keeping both, they donate one.”
Mr Scrivens said people who were struggling could reach out to Love in Action via their Facebook page.
“Feel free to reach out on a Love in Action community page. The message would be that people can feel safe and say, ‘we are doing it tough’,” he said.
“We have just reached 4000 members on our page, so when people ask for help on our page, other people give it to them.”
Anyone struggling to get by, or who knows a family doing it tough can find Love in Action on Facebook.
