Federal Labor has pledged $700,000 towards widely-admired charity Sikh Volunteers Australia’s upgraded kitchen and community centre in Langwarrin.
SVA, which has famously provided free meals during bushfire and flood disasters and the Covid pandemic, plans to expand its good deeds at its new $5.8 million headquarters.
Its new services would include family violence support, mental health support, parenting and youth services and volunteer training as well as increase its food program.
The charity has already raised the bulk of the project’s cost.
Bruce MP Julian Hill announced the ALP pledge at the SVA’s Vaisakhi (New Year’s) and volunteers appreciation celebration at Bunjil Place on Saturday 9 April.
The announcement was also backed by opposition multicultural affairs spokesman Andrew Giles, Isaacs MP Mark Dreyfus, Dunkley MP Peta Murphy and Labor candidates Abi Kumar (La Trobe) and Cassandra Fernando (Holt).
“The improved facilities in Langwarrin will also function as a cultural hub, providing an excellent location for the Sikh community to gather and celebrate and share cultural and religious festivals with the broader community,” Bruce MP Julian Hill said.
“These services are sorely needed in the communities of South-East Melbourne which have been ignored by the Morrison Government’s pattern of waste, rorts and broken promises.”
Currently, SVA runs a twice-weekly ‘Free Food Van’ in Tooradin and Frankston, and delivers meals to vulnerable households upon request.
It has responded in large scale to help survivors in the ‘Black Summer’ bushfires in NSW and Victoria, and recently travelled 34 hours to feed flood victims in NSW.
During Covid, SVA has provided nearly 270,000 meals to families in Melbourne’s South East.
Spokesperson Jaswinder Singh said that with the hub, SVA plans to expand its meals across all of Victoria seven days a week.
“It’s a big challenge, and it’s an ambitious landmark that we want to achieve.
“But with the support of the state and federal governments, it’s not impossible. We can make it happen.
“We’re doing a fair job and there’s a lot of scope to make it great.”
Mr Singh said most of the $5.8 million for the project had been generated from a bank loan and community support.
“With this $700,000 we will be able to float our head above the water.”
Construction of the centre is expected to start in July.
