Melissa McIntosh (Lindsay, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Women) | Hansard source

As we head into Kind July, there's no better time to reflect on the quiet acts of kindness that strengthen our communities every day. I recently caught up with Christ Mission Possible in my electorate, and, as always, I left feeling inspired. Each week, Christ Mission Possible feeds around 25,000 people, including preparing thousands of school lunches. Few things are more heartbreaking than imagining parents in our community staring at empty fridges, yet it's becoming more common as families are squeezed by rising housing, childcare, grocery and school costs. The Salvos latest Red Shield Report found that 72 per cent of people seeking assistance worried about where their child's next meal would come from.

To support locals doing it tough, my office has been collecting donations for community care kits. Our boardroom is piled high with food and winter essentials, because in Lindsay we do look after each other. You can see that same spirit in City Park Penrith each morning. Volunteers serve breakfast to those in need, among them familiar blue hoodies from my office, and my office enjoys so much that interaction with our local community. They're part of nearly 15,000 volunteers in Penrith City. This generous spirit was on show at our recent Our Community Cares high tea, as locals dug deep to support programs for the area's most vulnerable.

Before entering parliament, I worked in community housing in Penrith, and it taught me that real compassion is local, practical and personal. My staff spend hours helping constituents navigate systems that can feel overwhelming, fighting to ensure their voices are heard. They celebrate the wins, but they also carry the heartbreak. This week, one of my staff was left in tears after learning that an NDIS participant she'd been helping had attempted to take his own life while waiting for the support he desperately needs. It was a sombre reminder that behind every policy decision is a person, a life, depending on us to get it right. As we head into Kind July, it's worth remembering compassion is not softness; it is the strength to care, to listen and to step forward when others need help. To everyone in Lindsay who is helping out—and there are so many of you—thank you so much for everything you do.

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