Sana Karanouh and Rima Waizani, on behalf of Community Care Kitchen, received a call on October 1st at 10:15am by the Governor General of the Commonwealth of Australia and Her Excellency, Mrs Linda Hurley. CCK was both honoured and privileged to have received the call. The conversation highlighted the work CCK has done during the current pandemic and in the context of South-West Sydney’s current lockdown restrictions.
Their Excellencies spoke highly of many community initiatives and community organisations who have worked together to service those in vulnerable situations and those Australians who continue to live below the poverty line during the pandemic and pre-COVID. Topics on how community cope during extraordinary situations also arose, where CCK indicated how traumatic it has been for the community to not attend funeral services of loved ones and follow traditional mourning ceremonies or pay respects to those who have lost loved ones.
The topic was also discussed on the matter of local cafes and restaurants bearing the full brunt of the lockdown and how initiatives like CCK’S Emergency Food Hotline utilizes funds to both support local businesses and service the most vulnerable in our community. CCK have partnered with several local cafe’s, restaurants, and supermarkets to both support local and ensure emergency meals are cooked fresh, to order and are culturally appropriate.
CCK appreciated the time the Governor-General took to contact a local NFP to discuss our own experiences working throughout the pandemic as volunteers servicing our community. The conversation ended on a high note, with Her Excellency Linda Hurley singing a song to represent the hard work volunteers across the country have been putting in as well as the hope all community organisations provide in times of crisis.
We look forward to future contact.
