By Laura Michell
Community-minded Whittlesea and Hume residents are doing what they can to help others during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Grocery swap pages, shopping groups and meal services have popped up in the community as people look to lend a hand to their neighbours.
Kalkallo’s Marina Trninic is hoping her Angel Shoppers Facebook group will help make life a bit easier for anyone who doesn’t have family or friends to call on for support.
The Angel Shoppers will pick up groceries and medicine for people in need in their local area and deliver to their doorsteps, for free.
There is also an opportunity for the shopper to contribute to the grocery bill of the person they are delivering to.
“There’s nothing like communities banding together and helping the vulnerable people of their community. It is good for mental health and a sense of belonging, which in times like these, needs to shine through,” she said,
“I think it’s vital for people to come together as a community in times like this because we are all one.”
Epping’s Tracey Jardim is also helping to create some positivity in the community with her grocery swap group on Facebook.
The group allows northern suburbs residents to offer up items they have too many of in exchange for things they need. Ms Jardim said the most frequently swapped items were nappies and toilet paper.
Ms Jardim said she started the group as a way to counteract the negativity panic buying had created in the community.
“I was starting to feel really frustrated by it all and was thinking how to counteract the panic buying and the fear that was spreading and fuelling the panic buying,” she said.
“I felt we need to counteract it with positivity… we need to stick together now.”
In Craigieburn, the Sikh community is running a free mobile food service for people in isolation.
The service delivers to Craigieburn, Roxburgh Park, Broadmeadows, Donnybrook, Kalkallo, Epping, Lalor, Thomastown and Wollert.
Gurdwara Sahib Craigieburn secretary Gurdeep Singh said volunteers have been cooking, packing and distributing the meals since March 14.
He said the temple was receiving about 150 calls for meals each day.
To contact Angel Shoppers, visit: www.facebook.com/AngelShoppersAUS/
To take part in the grocery swap, visit: bit.ly/2QQ7EhF
To order a meal, call 0423 654 033 or 0430 211 180.
