Wollongong City Council is supporting Foodbank Australia's free emergency food hampers for people doing it tough under COVID lockdown.
We're working with Green Connect to deliver 180 food hampers to people living in the Wollongong local government area who are experiencing financial hardship due to COVID-19 lockdown restrictions.
Wollongong City Lord Mayor Councillor Gordon Bradbery AM said that this support package aimed to help those who have been most affected by current restrictions to put food on the table.
"From Friday, Wollongong Council will be working with Foodbank and Green Connect to help distribute up to 180 emergency food hampers to community members who need extra assistance during this challenging time," Cr Bradbery said.
"These free emergency food hampers are specifically for those in our community who may have been made unemployed or are suffering a loss of income due to the COVID-19 lockdown. If you are in need, you can nominate yourself, or someone else you know who needs help, by visiting the Green Connect website or calling them directly."
Each food hamper will contain a selection of dry goods such as rice, pasta, tinned fish, vegetables, fruit, cereal, milk, coffee and tea, which don't need to be stored in the fridge.
Availability is limited and if you have any questions, call Green Connect on 02 4243 1537 or visit their website to nominate yourself or someone else for a free emergency food hamper.
"A lot of people who aren't used to asking for help are needing it right now," Green Connect General Manager Kylie Flament said.
"We [Green Connect] invite everyone who needs a bit of help to reach out to us. We'll all get through this difficult time with a bit of kindness from others. What goes around comes around, and next time it may be you offering the support."
Foodbank is funded by NSW Health to provide free emergency food hampers for community members in financial hardship under COVID lockdown.
"Council is looking at other ways we can support our community and businesses who are experiencing significant disadvantage and hardship as a result of lockdown," Cr Bradbery said.
"At our last Council meeting, we endorsed a range of assistance measures for ratepayers, businesses, community organisations, our creative community and tenants who have been impacted by COVD-19.
"It's a wide-ranging package that builds on a number of successful measures that were first implemented in early 2020 by Council in response to the pandemic."
