Help Required - Share the Food Project
Needed - Volunteer Drivers to Drop off Food Parcels within the City of Port Phillip
Rotary Albert Park has recently donated $1,500 to this local food relief program, run by Port Phillip Community Group (PPCG), in collaboration with the City of Port Phillip. We would also like to assist them in a practical sense, by providing PPCG with one or more teams of two volunteer drivers for a few hours each week or fortnight.
Many of our RAP members and friends ask for opportunities to get involved in local, ‘hands on’ service projects and there is no better time to be doing this, with a global pandemic making so many people around us more vulnerable and in need of our help.
The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic has seen a significant increase in the number of individuals and families contacting PPCG for support. As people struggle to navigate unemployment, housing and food insecurity and isolation from support networks, PPCG has launched the Share the Food Project, in addition to continuing their key essential services such as Information, Referral and Support, Financial Counselling and No Interest Loans by phone and email.
Share the Food provides food staples, fresh food, toiletries and hygiene products to people facing financial hardship, and to those isolating due to immunity, age or disability. Food parcels are prepared in the PPCG central depot according to family size and dietary requirements, and are delivered by agencies and volunteers to people in their homes and emergency accommodation. In this time of uncertainty, it is critical that vulnerable community members have reliable and equitable access to food and other essential items.
Can you help? Due to volunteers returning to work and volunteer fatigue, PPCG needs our help with volunteer drivers to deliver final food parcels on Fridays, prior to the weekend.
What is involved?
You would work in a RAP/Friends team of 2 for a weekly commitment, or a RAP team of 4 if you can only volunteer every two weeks. One person would drive and the other make the delivery. Pre-packed parcels are available for contactless pick up and contactless drop off – with addresses etc. clearly marked and within a designated area. The person receiving the parcel will be advised of a drop off window / timeframe so that they are at home and expecting the drop off. Masks, hand sanitisers, addresses, phone contacts, names etc., are provided
Ongoing support and more detailed information (when necessary) will be provided by PPCG
Please contact Raelene Hunt on raeleneshunt@gmail.com or 0412 803 229 if you can assist with this very worthwhile project.
PPCG provides services to people from a wide range of backgrounds including, culturally and linguistically diverse, who have issues that are often multiple and complex. These include physical, mental health, alcohol and other drug issues, see https://www.ppcg.org.au/