By Cam Lucadou-Wells
For 60 years, Springvale Benevolent Society has been a salvation for people at their lowest points.
The society’s 15 hard-working volunteers celebrated at a Greater Dandenong mayoral function at Springvale City Hall supper room on Tuesday 25 October.
Many of them had served for decades, providing food, vouchers, blankets and other essentials to households in need.
There are stayers like 84-year-old Pat Dillon, who still compiles food and clothes parcels two days a week.
But president of 21 years Joe Rechichi, says new volunteers are needed to share the workload.
“Too much strain is on our volunteers. It’s hard to get the right type who are committed to doing it for a long time.
“We need more people like Pat Dillon.”
The benevolent society was founded on 28 February 1962 after a convening of City of Springvale council and local church representatives.
One of the co-founders, the late John Beus later wrote about the enduring friendships formed as “members from different walks of life worked together to help others”.
In its early days, the society helped about two or three cases a week with 10 shilling vouchers and second-hand clothes.
In the past year, the society gave $30,000 of goods – and dipped even deeper into their funds during the depths of Covid.
Mr Rechichi says they help the people who “fall through the cracks”.
They include asylum seekers with no welfare benefits, no work rights and no income. During Covid lockdowns, they were especially vulnerable.
He expects things will only get harder, as cost-of-living rises start to bite.
“It takes a lot of courage for a person to say they need help,” Mr Rechichi says.
“When you say ‘yes, I can help’, you can see a little relief on their face. And they don’t have to agonize and wait two days or next week – on that same day, we’re there.”
Mr Rechichi says he still sharply remembers what it’s like to “have nothing”. His family migrated from Italy in 1964 with exactly that.
“There wasn’t any Centrelink. If you didn’t work, you didn’t eat. That’s what inspired people to start the Springvale Benevolent Society.
“I can’t understand why in a beautiful rich country that you can’t be able to eat. There’s something not right with that.”
At the celebration, mayor Jim Memeti presented the society with $5000 – which will cover the charity’s food supplies for the next two months.
Cr Memeti paid tribute to the “very, very good people” who’ve been “looking after the most vulnerable people in our community”.
He particularly thanked the members for delivering essential food and supplies to homes during the council’s Covid material aid program.
Cr Memeti said the function – and a similar one held for not-for-profit Wellsprings for Women – were held instead of the annual mayoral charity ball fundraiser.
“I hope these functions continue in the future.
“It’s good to recognise the volunteers, the charities and the good work that they do. They don’t get recognised enough.”
