By Eleanor Wilson
Not-for-profit food relief organisation We Care Community Services Shed will commence work to upgrade its storage shed, after receiving a $20,000 grant from Westfield Fountain Gate.
The Dandenong North based charity provides more than a tonne of groceries and toiletries to more than 200 local unemployed and elderly people each week.
The shed was previously used to store donated goods from local food banks, but chief executive officer Franca Heins says the grant will allow them to install shelving and use the shed to provide for a growing customer base.
“During Covid we were serving around 1000 people a month…but in the last month of August we’ve fed over 2000 people,” she said.
“The demand is a lot greater now. I think it has to do with interest rates rising, people aren’t working or they’re dealing with mental health issues. A lot more people are coming through who are struggling.”
Several years ago the organisation received a grant from the State Government’s Pick My Project initiative, which allowed them to build the shed, but it has only been suitable for storage since.
The grant was awarded to Ms Heins as part of Westfield’s Local Heroes program, which celebrates community role models whose work benefits others across a broad range of sectors, including family and youth support, health and wellbeing, inclusion and equity, community resilience and environmental sustainability.
For Ms Heins, becoming CEO of We Care Community Services Shed is a full circle moment.
Growing up with a single mother as one of five children, Ms Heins says the family often had to rely on family and friends for food support.
“Back then there wasn’t a community service to help [my mum] and we had nothing, so for me I just want to help people in similar situations to what I was in,” she said.
“I usually like to stay behind the scenes so its been different being nominated…we’ve got a great team at We Care and we’re very pleased to receive the grant”
Two other finalists were also recognised with smaller $5000 grants, including Mary Tresize-Brown from South East Local Learning & Employment Network and Kay Taranto from Wild Days Wildlife Shelter.
Scentre Group National Community Experience Manager, Pam Wilson congratulated the recipients, which are awarded to finalists from each Westfield centre.
“As we celebrate our fifth year of the Westfield Local Heroes program, we are once again overwhelmed by the inspiring nominations this year,” she said.
“Through the success of the program, we are proud to be able to continue to recognise and reward everyday people doing extraordinary work in our communities.”
