Tim Wilson (Goldstein, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Goldstein is a strong community because of the passion and commitment of young residents like Sarah who take action to support others. Victorians have done it tough during COVID-19 and residents of Goldstein are no exception. Sarah became worried about the impact of food hoarding early in the pandemic, particularly its impact on vulnerable households and the risk of waste where food was purchased but was not consumed. After contacting the Goldstein office, we connected Sarah with a local support charity BayCISS, which has organised the distribution of donated food to individuals and families in need over many years.

Working with BayCISS Sarah devised a solution whereby people's excess groceries could be converted into a food bank for those people struggling to buy essentials at a critical time. Sarah coordinated with local households and gathered a whole car load worth of supplies, which has since been redistributed by BayCISS. Sarah's initiative has helped soften the impact the COVID recession for many vulnerable households and she's a model to us all. Congratulations, Sarah, on the success of the initiative that you have taken. Thank you for your passion and your commitment to our community. It's the efforts of people like you, Sarah, that make our country a strong and successful nation.