Families in need get leg up

Rockingham Rotary Club has packed 40 boxes filled with essential items for families in need across the community, in an effort to help ease the financial burden from COVID-19.

The idea for the boxes came from a Rotary member, who suggested families would benefit from some extra help after being hit with job losses or reduced working hours.

The club’s community director Darrel Donovan said Rotary realised families needed help during a difficult time.

“At the time of the suggestion both Coles and Woolworths were making up the essential boxes at a cost,” Mr Donovan said.

“Our club felt there was a need to support families who could not afford these essential items, particularly families who lost their jobs due to COVID-19.

“Our board passed a recommendation to make up 100 boxes and to give them to families where parents had lost their job during this pandemic.”

Mr Donovan said their focus had been on families who had recently lost their jobs and needed some support.

“We were able to contact the owner of the Supa IGA in Port Kennedy, Ike Abdulla, who was very willing to help out with our program,” he said.

“He also donated $1500 worth of items which equated to 19 boxes. We have currently given out 40 boxes to families with another 40 boxes being prepared in a couple of weeks followed by the remaining 20 not long after.

“There were a couple of large families where we were able to give two boxes to help them out.”

Mr Donovan said the club had found families to give the boxes of non-perishables to through some of the schools in the area.

“Some of our members approached some schools either through their administration or their chaplains who determined which families truly need support,” he said.

“At present, we have other schools looking at possible families who we can also support. All the items we have given are non-perishable items.”

He said these items included long life milk, coffee, baked beans, jelly crystals, dish washing liquid and soap.

Supa IGA Port Kennedy store owner Ike Abdulla said he was happy to help Rotary with creating the essential boxes.

“We continuously do this kind of thing, we love to support not-for-profit groups and help the community out,” he said.

“We make sure we put money aside to help out with these sort of relief funds on a regular basis.”