As my commitment to work with local charities to support the community and exploring how Rotary can assist, I contacted and offered my assistance to a local charity (BK2Basics) that I’ve supported in various ways over the last year or two. I could never actually go down to help in person, since I’ve been working full time and therefore unable to have time off to do this. So when my current job gave me a rostered day off, I jumped at the chance to assist BK2Basics for a day and see how it all works.BK2Basics can be found in Vesper Driver Narre Warren and is currently restricted (Lockdown 4) to 3 volunteers per day. Not only do the volunteers need to fill up and put out food throughout the opening times, they also need to ask the public coming in if they require fresh milk, yoghurt and beef ravioli (which was the special for that day), clean any spills, but also keep an eye on people not taking more than the limits allowed.
Upon arrival I was temperature checked and immediately required to apply hand sanitiser and then put gloves on. I then assisted in working through all the fresh vegetables and fruit that had been donated, to place them out on shelves in small crates and throw out anything that was not suitable for consumption. There wasn’t much that had been donated that morning and the ladies I met, Tracey, Rene and Sharon, told me it was going to be a very quiet day, as there just wasn’t enough food available for the people expected to come in.
They then showed me boxes and boxes of multi-coloured chocolate-coated little buttons that needed to be transferred into sandwich bags for the public to pick one bag up. I can tell you that each sandwich bag took about 3 coffee cups worth of these chocolate buttons. Furthermore, one box of these contained about 24 sandwich bags and you had to take care not to spill them out when closing the zip bags.
Just before 10am, the first person was waiting outside the roller door wanting to be temperature checked, ID card checked and recorded. The charity has had to create a ID card for everyone with a photo to stop people coming in multiple times and double or triple dipping and to ensure everyone has a chance to receive and pick food items they need.What I witnessed was that for the first hour, all people that came through were Seniors, who were very friendly and very appreciative of the assistance that they were receiving. The rest of the time the people coming in were of various ages and included quite a few immigrants as well. The volunteers were friendly and helpful to everyone that came in and it made me feel great that I could be a small part of the day to assist them where I could.
At lunch time I went out and got us all coffee and some nibbles to snack on as there really is no downtime, so someone is usually leaving to go grab some coffees while the rest of them are doing other things. They did tell me that lots of coffee drop offs would be very helpful and appreciative to them 😊.
At about 1pm Tracey (who was in charge for the day) called and spoke to the owner of the Charity explaining that there simply wasn’t enough food, so we would have to close for the day. Before we did though, we cleaned everywhere and ensured that anything requiring refrigeration was placed in the chill room and that signs were placed outside to indicate that 'The Pantry' was closed. Messages were also put up on Facebook and Instagram to let everyone who follows them know of the development of the day.
From what I saw, they need assistance in tranferring bigger quantities in small manageable bags, they also need donations of fresh food, gloves, masks, containers. They prepare and deliver meals to the city for the homeless that are now housed in hotels because of COVID-19 and they also offer food on Wednesday evenings from their own house (they had to stop at Hampton Park due to restrictions).
Extra Pallet Shelving would be very helpful in the warehouse next to the Pantry, to be able to lift pallets from the floor and allow easier access to items that need to be transferred, or just grabbed to place onto shelves in the Pantry. 
They do not receive any government help or funding and could do with more pallet shelving for the warehouse next to the pantry for the stock of donations that they already have.
They do not receive any government help or funding and could do with more pallet shelving for the warehouse next to the pantry for the stock of donations that they already have. I believe last week they spent $1,500 on plastic containers alone, to place prepared meals in for the delivery to homeless in Hotels and of course they cannot be re-used. This means each week they are looking at a similar expenses, as the need for prepared meals becomes bigger as the weeks go on, especially during this Lockdown where more people have lost jobs or shifts and can't afford to put food on their tables.
My question to all Rotarians – How can you assist me to assist this awesome Charity, which started out of their own garage and is now receiving many more referrals since moving into their donated warehouse?Do you know a supplier of Gloves, Hand Sanitiser, Fresh Vegetables and Fruit, Milk, Frozen Meals and even bunches of flowers or pot plants (they offer this to ladies that come in and the ladies that work there, feel they need an extra ‘pick me up’ to take home with them)?
Cash Donations are needed to assist to cover electricity costs for running the chill room, petrol costs for delivery to the city, as well as picking up donated food from surrounding suburbs, extra food and other items to be able to prepare the meals that they donate.
Do you know any Managers from your local Woollies, Coles, Aldi etc that you think would commit to donating food on a regularly basis? If you can email me (cherylzuhlsdorff@hotmail.com) and let me know who to contact or who you have contacted that I can follow up with to see where or how they can help, it would be greatly appreciated.
I am also trying to think of ways/events/trivia nights or such to raise funds for this charity, so any assistance with that would be appreciated as well.
Going forward (as per my roster allows me), I will be working/assisting one day a week and I will offer additional help over the weekends, if required.