Help Your Neighbour: a movement of kindness connecting Greater Bendigo
Neighbourhoods and communities always find ways to work with each other by sharing resources and checking in on others. Help Your Neighbour makes these connections happen a little faster.
How it began
Help Your Neighbour was launched by Bendigo Foodshare in March 2020 as a community response to the COVID-19 pandemic. With the goal of helping people connect to food relief and community support services, a key objective was to share messages of hope and kindness through positive storytelling.
Who was involved
Bendigo Foodshare partnered with five organisations to deliver a coordinated response to support to the most vulnerable community members across the region during the pandemic.
The partnership included: City of Greater Bendigo, Haven; Home, Safe, Bendigo Community Health Services, Fosterville Gold Mine and Bendigo Cleaning Company.
The Greater Bendigo Neighbourhood Houses Cluster also provided input and support.
The outcome
Through a locally led team of 20 volunteers, Help Your Neighbour grew to 2,200 Facebook followers.
Photos, short stories and live video were shared regularly during the first and second lockdowns. Evaluation data revealed Help Your Neighbour provided the community with a ‘brief, but important reprieve’ from fear and negative news, by ‘instilling a sense of hope and connection’.
A series of online trivia nights were especially popular, attracting 200 participants. People tuned in from towns and communities across the City, as well as further afield; Geelong, Shepparton, Tallarook and Pakenham.
Support in languages other than English
Loddon Campaspe Multicultural Services – Food Exchange
Bilingual community workers can help support multicultural families required to isolate after COVID-19 testing with:
- Food packs
- COVID-19 information
- Accessing support payments and emergency relief packs
- Centrelink reporting
- Referrals to crisis and emergency services
10am – 4pm Monday to Friday.
Call 0492 963 242 or email [email protected]
Food relief
Where to find support
Although restrictions are easing, many people still need help.
From housing and family violence, legal, health, education and business, there are many resources available. Download our food relief and community support guides to point you in the right direction:
>Community support
Bendigo Community Food Pantry
Order free food online and stretch your budget further. Includes fresh fruit and vegetables and pre-cooked frozen meals.
This service can be accessed up to four times, free, by any resident of Greater Bendigo.
Visit Bendigo Community Food Pantry's website and order online.
COVID-19 testing and information
If you, or a member of your household need more information on COVID-19, including where the closest testing facility is, visit our COVID-19 updates page.
If you have an emergency, please contact 000.
Lifeline
13 11 14
www.lifeline.org.au
Beyond Blue
1300 22 4636
www.beyondblue.org.au
Centre for Non-Violence
1800 884 292
1800 Respect
1800 737 732
National Relay Service
1800 555 677
National Translating and Interpreting Service
131 450
Orange Door (Loddon)
1800 512 359
[email protected]
www.orangedoor.vic.gov.au
Safe Steps
1800 015 1800
24 hours / 7 days a week
web chat support service Mon - Fri until 9pm, www.safesteps.org.au