It’s no secret that the COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on the economy.
While we come to grips with the toll this has taken on the community and on people’s lives, and while we look to government life rafts (such as the JobKeeper scheme) for financial aid and support to get through these unprecedented times, one group in the community is perhaps finding it harder than most.
When it comes to government financial support, asylum seekers are often not only ineligible to work but to receive financial aid, and are, therefore, often left to rely on the generosity of strangers to meet their basic needs.
Recognising the need of asylum seekers during this difficult time, two businesses have teamed up to deliver fresh food to those in the community who are not able to avail themselves of government economic assistance.
Working with the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre (ASRC) in Melbourne, food delivery service, EASI and third generation Australian farmer, Catherine Velisha (Velisha Farms) will be donating 50 Harvest Boxes of fresh food to ASRC.
The ASRC will then use their network of volunteers to distribute the food to individual houses.
“We felt a responsibility as a food delivery service to help feed those in need during this difficult period,” Kitty Lu, National Account Manager at EASI, said.
“There are a lot of groups that need help, and EASI is doing what it can to help those not eligible for government assistance and hope others can do the same.”
This is a sentiment shared by Catherine Velisha of Velisha Farms, who employs a lot of refugees, providing ESL classes and has a career promotion system in place for her workforce.
“I’m a third-generation farmer [and] also a third generation migrant,” Ms Velisha said.
“It’s important that as business leaders … that in the process of going about our daily lives we don’t let people through the cracks.”
Kon Karapanagiotidis, ASRC CEO added: “It’s great to have Australian businesses helping to support some of Australia’s most vulnerable people, many of whom are precluded from paid work and government assistance.”
Mr Karapanagiotidis explains that consumers who would like to support asylum seekers can do so by ordering these Harvest Boxes and donating an extra $5 on top of the order, which will then be donated to the ASRC.
EASI will donate any extra money sent on top of the orders to the ASRC and encourages other businesses to set up similar schemes.
“This is a very easy way to help someone in need and to get some fresh food delivered to your door the next day,” Ms Lu said.
