The Express Newspaper 1st April 2020

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Wednesday, April 1, 2020

During the COVID-19 crisis, many Tablelands residents who have lost their jobs or livelihoods are now wondering where their next meal is going to come from. QITE is a not for profit group who have set up Community Pantries across the Tablelands selling groceries at below cost to help the disadvantaged and vulnerable on the Tablelands. HERE TO HELP: Community Pantry Supervisor Petrina Blain and QITE Tablelands Team Leader Jane Ellis are here to help those in need.

MORE DETAILS PAGE 5

People and community unite

DURING these unprecedented times, locals have been asking how they can reach out and help people who are currently struggling through the COVID-19 crisis. Seven years ago, Bree Hargreaves, President of the Atherton Tablelands Chamber of Commerce started the ‘My Tablelands’ Facebook page as a way of locals connecting with local businesses. Due to her connections, Bree had been fielding calls about how locals can help other locals, “People were asking me

things like how do I buy meals for people? how do I find out who is in need? and who do I call if I need help?” Recently Bree launched another Facebook Group “Tablelands Unite – helping each other through COVID-19” Bree started making enquiries about how to get essentials to members of the community, and who those people were. That’s when she noticed there were some broken links in the communication chain. So last week Bree started the Tablelands Unite webpage as a

way of collecting details so that she can help direct people in the right direction, “I wanted a space to connect Tablelanders in a time when we soon wouldn’t be able to ‘catch up over a coffee.” she said “And to continue with my #ShopTablelands promotions, my small part to contribute to our business community.” Just 5 days after starting the group Bree had over 2915 members including over 100 people asking for help. “The growth was absolutely amazing, more than I could ever

have imagined. People asking for help, offering help, and sharing information and local business information.“ It’s for anyone on the Tablelands from Mount Garnet out to Julatten and everywhere in between. Startup Tablelands and the Atherton Chamber of Commerce have also come on board to help. When you sign up at www. tablelandsunite.com.au – you will be asked either: I want to help or I need help. This way Bree can help connect those in

need with those able to give. “I don’t see problems, just opportunities that need solutions. I put together a very basic website that started collecting contact details of people who are willing to help.” Bree said “Either admin support or drop and run deliveries. We’ve even had a volunteer offer to go and feed pets of people that may be in a hospital, “It’s an army of volunteers that can be called on when things get real. I don’t have the resources (or funding) to make this happen myself and am hop-

ing to connect with a group that may already have the other piece of the puzzle – the people that aren’t on Facebook that need help.” To help, join or register go to www.tablelandsunite.com.au. You can also keep up to date at www.facebook.com/groups/tablelandsunite The power of small communities always shines in disastrous times and while COVID-19 is the worst that we as a community and country have ever experiened, out local communtities continue to shine.

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