By Eleanor Wilson
A local junior football club is doing its bit to warm the hearts and stomachs of the community this winter, holding a fundraising drive for emergency relief service BK 2 Basics Melbourne.
At the end of the last football season, families from Berwick North Junior Football Club began donating cans of non perishable goods including spaghetti, soups, canned vegies and beans to donate to the Narre Warren based charity.
Club treasurer Marianne Howe said aside from helping a good cause, the club also hoped the fundraising drive would stand as a good example for the kids at the club.
“We’ve done something similar a few years back and we just thought it was a nice way for the kids to give back to the community,” she said.
“It is a small club but we’ve always been very community minded.”
Bk 2 Basics founder Kelly Warren said the support from community groups like Berwick Junior Football Club is particularly vital right now, given the recent interest rate rise and high cost of living.
“It’s nothing but amazing, ” she said.
“Not only are people struggling at the moment, but charities are struggling too.”
Ms Warren said the not-for-profit, which runs a number of emergency relief services including a hot meal service and a community pantry, is currently receiving 50 – 60 new individuals requiring emergency relief each week.
“We’re currently feeding about 7000 people every week,” she said.
“With more people coming through we need more food and that’s hard to come by, so we really appreciate the community helping us out.”
To donate to Bk 2 Basics Melbourne, head to bk2basicsmelbourne.org
