The Greek Welfare Centre (GWC) of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia is set to hold a ‘Winter Community Appeal’, taking in donations to redistribute to those in need.
The Appeal will take place Thursday July 6 at the Marrickville Town Hall (303 Marrickville Road) from 9 a.m. until 4:30 p.m., where the GWC Community Services will collect clothing, packaged food items, manchester, household items, games, fits and toys.
The donations all go towards individuals and families experiencing hardship, with many of the people the GWC supports being of Greek background.
“Approximately 80-90% of the families we help are Greek or Greek-Australian. We also have people who just drop in from the local community and some of them are not of Greek background,” Maria Petrohilos, a psychologist who supervises the casework of information, referral and counselling for the centre, told Neos Kosmos.
“We look to support anyone so there are new families or individuals we support. Sometimes they are referred to us by another organisation, a family member, church, so it’s open to anyone who has a need that comes to our attention.”
Ms Petrohilos explained that donations can be both collected or handed out to specific people, based on the GWC’s familiarity with the families or individual’s circumstances.
“Some people come and collect things just as they need them. Others are targeted, the specific families we know that benefit from whatever different items are in the food, clothing, blankets, money etc. We try to cater to whatever each person or family’s situation is,” she said.
“It may not be restricted to a particular period. What we collect is available for as long as we can distribute it so, however many people come in that time, we provide for them what they need.”
The psychologist elaborated on the many factors that cause people to become less fortunate than others, including physical or mental illnesses, financial struggles, stating that it is typically a combination which puts people in these desperate situations.
“Often, it’s more than one factor and it’s a series of events over time. So it might be an illness which results in someone not being able to work which then results in them falling behind in different bills and then they’re trying to pay the bills so they start falling further behind,” she told Neos Kosmos.
“That can lead to them not eating as well and then they have more health problems, or they may be a family separation, or a death in the family that changes the dynamics of the financial situation of the individual.”
In addition to the Winter Community Appeal, the GWC has a weekly meal service that usually helps the same people, though it is made available to all.
“It can be anyone who is referred to us or that comes to our attention could be considered for the meal. In addition to that, we do provide them information counselling support on an individual basis. Referral, advocacy, whatever we can do to help make some improvements to their situation,” she said.
“We do hampers with staple things like pasta, sauces, tuna, sauces, those sorts of things, which is enough to provide food for a week or two. ”
As part of the Appeal, the GWC is also taking monetary donations which can be made to the following:
Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia Consolidated Trust
Greek Welfare Centre BSB: 082-057 / A/C: 616961280
