By Brendan Rees
Just before the sun rises each day, Kerrigan La-Brooy and two other drivers are on the road picking up left-over food at various shops.
By 9am, Mr La-Brooy, who runs the Gethsemane Charity in Cranbourne, joins other volunteers where they sort through the food which includes bread, bakery products, pies, croissants, fruit, vegetables, eggs, drinks, meats and other necessities – before it is packaged into hampers and made available free for people in need to collect or delivered to the vulnerable or those in self-isolation.
However, the charity is struggling to keep up with the surge in demand as the economic impacts of the Covid-19 crisis hits home for residents. Some nights the volunteers are out delivering hampers until 10pm to places as far as Glen Waverley – “whatever time it takes,” Mr La-Brooy says.
“We cater to around 200 mouths per day. The hampers are so full and heavy that many need a trolley to cart it to their car,” Mr La-Brooy said, who is Senior Pastor of Gethsemane Church in Cranbourne.
He said people didn’t require to have a health care card as they found most were on the “cusp” – “they don’t have a health care card but they’re still not earning enough”.
“Particularly now, many who have lost their jobs and need the benefits are not even getting Centrelink payments because of the backlog.
“A lot of people have been caught off guard.”
He said volunteers including his wife Michele, Steph Panza, Gail Kavanagh, and Mila Lazarovski had been working around the clock to reach out to those in need while adhering to strict hygiene measures under the safety guidelines that have been put in place by the government.
“It’s quite daunting but it’s got to be done,” Mr La-Brooy says of volunteers wearing masks and gloves.
“We don’t want too many on the premises all at once because of the social distancing. We try and swap around the shifts – working in threes, (and) more people delivering on the roads.”
The charity, which was founded in 2017 by Mr La-Brooy, is desperate for more volunteers for sorting and delivering. Mr La-Brooy said anyone who had a family member, a friend, a neighbour, “or anyone you know” – should not hesitate in putting up their hand to help.
The organisation is renowned in the community for their selfless actions in helping provide food and clothing to over 400 people daily, seven days a week.
Anyone who would like to assist or would like to enquire about a food delivery may call Mr La-Brooy or on 0404 875 647.
