By Cam Lucadou-Wells
Greater Dandenong’s massive Covid food-relief program has been extended at least six months.
The council’s material aid program had distributed more than 730,000 kilograms of food and 260,000 sanitary items to aid agencies between April 2020 and March 2021.
The $555,000 program was extended thanks to State Government partnership funding, Greater Dandenong community services director Martin Fidler said.
It would provide direct payments to aid agencies for food, material aid and vouchers until at least 15 October.
The State Government contributed $230,000 to the program, including the six-month extension.
Meanwhile the council’s Covid hotline has fielded an “upsurge” in calls for help during the latest lockdown.
“Material aid agencies have reported an initial, small increase in demand, due in part to the short lockdown and 5-kilometre radius.
“However this is increasing the longer lockdown extends and without Federal Government (JobKeeper) support.”
Mr Fidler said agencies were reporting demand “far higher” than pre-Covid times – though not yet at peak 2020 Covid levels.
One agency reported up to 50 per cent higher demand, he said.
Calls for help were rising from people who just lost their jobs, Kay De La Rue from agency Community Creating Opportunities (CoCos) in Dandenong.
The op shop was closed during the two-week lockdown, but still provided food parcels.
She said clients included new arrivals, the newly unemployed with young kids to feed. Some were living on the streets, some in share-houses, she said.
“We’re definitely seeing a lot of people in need, and with very sad stories as well,” CoCos manager Manuella Guillemain added.
Springvale Benevolent Society president Joe Rechichi said he was starting to see new faces desperately seeking food.
“It takes a lot of guts for people to say ‘can you help me?’. We don’t refuse anyone.”
During 2020, the charity’s main clients were unemployed asylum seekers and refugees who were denied JobSeeker or any type of welfare.
Mr Rechichi expected a spate of new employed households needing help, with the winding back of JobSeeker, abolition of JobKeeper and the rental moratorium.
“The lockdown is not nice. I think the state and federal govenrments should get together and consider a lot of people who lose their jobs.
“Donations have been very low this year. I’m glad the City of Greater Dandenong extended its (material aid) program to October.”
Asylum Seekers Centre founder David Spitteler said about half of his usual families came into the charity during the latest lockdown’s first week.
He believes his clients mistakenly thought they weren’t allowed to venture beyond the five-kilometre limit – even though the centre offers exemptions.
With 500 clients “on the books”, the ASC gave food parcels to up to 100 families a week in recent times. This dropped to 48 in the first week of the latest lockdown.
Donations from churches also dropped off when their services were restricted to online.
Mr Spitteler, who turns 80 within a week, has been running the ASC for 25 years.
He runs it like a one-man-band, so there’s no one to take over when he stops.
“I’m prepared to be able to do this as long as I’m able to.”
The above agencies welcome donations of money and food for those in need.
