Kariong Neighbourhood Centre has expanded its food relief program to Somersby hall, with fresh food available to those in need between 2 and 3pm every Friday.
General Manager Shayne Silvers said no one should ever have to make the choice between whether they eat well or pay this month’s rent or mortgage or pay for a child’s medication.
“The truth is that any person or family can find themselves facing times of hardship and emergency through no fault of their own,” Silvers said.
“We have seen the recent fires, floods and now a pandemic.
“Loss of employment, social isolation, increase in domestic and family violence, mental health, anxiety and depression, have all been documented as some of the impacts on individuals and families.
Kariong Neighbourhood Centre has been running its food relief program for over a year and the numbers coming for assistance have grown.
“Visitors to our food relief program have been coming from further afield, the Peninsula and the Hinterland.
“We have around 10 wonderful, generous volunteers who help us on a Wednesday with our Kariong food relief program and one of the volunteers lives up in Somersby.
“She asked if we might extend the program up there to help out the Hinterland communities and she didn’t have to ask us twice.
“I met with the Somersby Progress group and they offered the use of their local hall from where we can run the program.
“As the song goes, ‘we get by with a little help from our friends’.
Source:
Media release, Jun 1
Kariong Neighbourhood Centre