Forging Community Bonds

4 min April 23rd, 2020
In this article
Meet Taryn, from our marketing team, who is volunteering time to help her local community.

While apart, we’re still together.

It’s a tough time for our industry right now, and as we wait to welcome you back to our pubs and restaurants once more, we want to share some positive stories from our teams.

#cheerstothenext100years

In this article

Meet Taryn

Taryn! Who are you doing volunteer work for?

There’s a group on Facebook called Jewish Response Group to Coronavirus. It’s a platform for anyone to seek help, offer assistance, ask questions, queries etc. Within this group they created departments to help those in need. From grocery collections, to friendly calls to members in lock down, to creating packages for those at old age homes, to babysitting kids whose parents are in the front line, there’s even a hospitality section that gives updates on those who are still open and so many more areas!

Through this group I also discovered other organisations seeking volunteer opportunities such as C Care Org, who I have been assisting regularly too.

What sort of work have you been carrying out?

At C Care I assist with cooking meals and packing fresh groceries for those in need. I spend most of my days at the hub due to the demand during Covid-19 being extremely high and the restrictions limiting the amount of volunteers.

At JRGC I’ve volunteered in the pharmaceutical area. Coordinating those who are unable to get their medicine due to isolation. There is a variety of work required, ranging from coordinating spreadsheets, to calling each person to ensure they answered the questions correctly to make sure it’s safe for the volunteers. Once they send the scripts, we source a pharmacist that will stock what they are after, we then collect the medicine and drop it off at their front door. Obviously obeying strict hygiene and zero personal contact.

There are about 20 people in the pharmacy team and over 5,000 members in the group. It’s quite amazing!

I had to source an EpiPen for a girl last week but due to the pandemic they are hard to find. I called so many pharmacists and then I posted in this group and the outpour of tips and advice and people offering spare ones is so amazing to see. I managed to source one! The silver lining is seeing the community come together during really bizarre times.

What’s been the best part for you?

Receiving texts from people in the community thanking you is just such a great feeling during these unprecedented times. I’ve also learnt a lot from these volunteering groups. Each one of us have been affected in different ways. I try look at the glass being half full and if I can devote my spare time to others it makes such trying times a little more comforting knowing the community is in this together.

Thank you Taryn!

In the spirit of reconciliation, Australian Venue Co. acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their Elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.

Australian Venue Co. is a place free from discrimination, where everyone belongs. We respect and celebrate the diversity of our communities, including people of all cultural and faith backgrounds, classes, gender and sexual identities, ages and abilities and we are committed to creating a safe and welcoming space for all.