While many Hunter residents were tucking into their breakfast this morning, Windale-based charity Centre for Hope was busy distributing Hampers from the Heart to some of the region’s most vulnerable.
Filled with fresh food and essential items, the hampers were met with smiles from refugee, indigenous and disadvantaged families in both Newcastle and Lake Macquarie.
Led by Centre for Hope manager Shari Bonnette, the team of volunteers began distributing at 8 this morning, Wednesday 13 October.
The deliveries are designed to reduce the cost of grocery shopping and ensure families have access to healthy fresh food.
It is part of the charity’s Hampers from the Heart program.
Hampers include fresh food as well as essential items like hand sanitiser, face masks and personal care products.
Ms Bonnette says they’re designed to offer small relief to households who have been struggling.
“Hampers from the Heart are helping families who are experiencing significant hardship during the COVID lockdown,” she says.
“With our support, families are provided food over a month and are given some other items like hand sanitiser and facemasks to make it safer for them to go out into the community.”
Families are referred by local schools, the University of Newcastle and local support organisations.
“There are many families struggling financially at the moment and with eight to ten family members in some households, that’s a lot of people to feed. Our hampers make a big difference to a weekly shopping bill,” Ms Bonnette said.
Equally important, Ms Bonnette says, is the connections made with families across the community and the importance of families knowing there are services in the community to help them.
Families receiving the hampers are provided with the Hunter Homeless Connect Community Directory as well as follow up contact from Centre for Hope.
“Hampers from the Heart is a wonderful experience. There is such immense gratitude from the hamper recipients and it’s a great way to connect with families during such a tough time,” Ms Bonnette said.
Hampers from the Heart is a program provided by Centre for Hope with funding from Multicultural NSW.
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