By Callum Ludwig
Vulnerable people within our communities are at a greater risk than ever with rising prices of goods and services.
Relief agency ADRA Victoria is hoping to play their part in continuing to support locals, and a recent grant of $25,000 will go a long way to boosting its programs.
Director of ADRA Victoria Rebecca Auriant said the Pop-up Food Relief Market grants were awarded to ADRA Victoria by the Department of Family, Fairness and Housing.
“My role is to support our food relief programs at our 30 centres across the state and with the cost of living rises, we needed to increase our funding so this was great to hear,” she said.
“The food crisis is so extreme, but our ADRA centres like the one at Redwood do this every week so it is great to have access to this grant.”
29 grants totalling $1.24 million have been provided to community organisations to host food relief markets.
Manager of ADRA Redwood Community Centre in Warburton Kate Barratt said Redwood is set to receive $2000 of the grant.
“We didn’t even know this grant was coming to us until very recently, and it’s very exciting because Foodbank and SecondBite give us heaps, but there’s a lot that they can’t also provide us with,” she said.
“We have to go and purchase a lot of goods as well, so the $2000 will be vital in helping us to do so. We started having to buy a lot more frozen meals to have in our lounge room because lots more people were accessing the space and a hot meal makes their visits so much nicer.”
To fulfil the guidelines of the grant, ADRA centres will have to provide a minimum of four markets over two months, which is easily achievable through ADRA Redwood’s ongoing Chewsday Bite food relief program.
Ms Barratt said she wanted to reiterate how vital the Yarra Ranges emergency relief network is.
“We’ve just worked together so well, I’ve never seen collaboration like it and there’s no competition. It’s all about supporting each other, whether it be from different churches, or services agencies, we’re all there to help each other,” she said.
“I just picked up swags from an agency in Ringwood, after running out. They messaged me and were more than happy for us to take some. These community collaborations are the most important because we can’t do it all.”
Ms Barratt’s daughter Isabella Anderson is the School Ambassador for ADRA Victoria.
Ms Anderson said she has been volunteering at ADRA Redwood since she was eight years old.
“It’s hard to get these ideas into schools and through teenager’s heads but I really like being able to stand up and bring things to the front of people’s minds,” she said.
“With ADRA it really helps us as well because through Mum I can learn about what’s happening and what is needed throughout the community and bring it to somewhere like my school Edinburgh College, which is quite fortunate and has funding and kids who are passionate about helping out.”
Ms Anderson consistently advocates for fundraising opportunities in her school community and is reducing her school workload next year to dedicate more time to her work with ADRA.
Ms Anderson said she thinks teenagers these days have such a voice in the community.
As soon as teenagers hear about a good cause, they really go for it. I did a fundraiser not long ago and it was really well-supported and makes such a difference,” she said.
“All the volunteers at ADRA are so good, you can tell they want to be there, always willing to help or make a difference. “It’s really nice to be able to collaborate with people who are interested in the same things as you are and just making everything a little bit better for everyone.”
The ADRA Redwood Community Centre is also set to begin hosting an inclusive fitness training program called Functional Fitness and Fun. The sessions will involve minimal equipment, run by a qualified trainer and aim to include people who have limited access to transport or funds as well as those who are uncomfortable attending a formal gym for mental health reasons or other emotional barriers. Babysitting will be available and participants will be encouraged to commit on a term-by-term basis (newcomers will also be welcome throughout). Exercises will modified to suit abilities and needs.
