In Sydney's worst-hit coronavirus hotspot, volunteer delivers food to those in need
Record ID:
1632002
In Sydney's worst-hit coronavirus hotspot, volunteer delivers food to those in need
- Title: In Sydney's worst-hit coronavirus hotspot, volunteer delivers food to those in need
- Date: 13th August 2021
- Summary: SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA (AUGUST 12, 2021) (REUTERS) CANTERBURY BANKSTOWN COUNCILLOR AND YOUTH WORKER, BILAL EL-HAYEK, GETTING INTO CAR TO DROP DONATED FOOD VARIOUS OF EL-HAYEK DRIVING (SOUNDBITE) (English) CANTERBURY BANKSTOWN COUNCILLOR AND YOUTH WORKER, BILAL EL-HAYEK, SAYING: "We are just going to deliver some cooked meals. Few people that aren't doing it too well." EL-HAYEK DRIVING INTO DRIVEWAY (SOUNDBITE) (English) CANTERBURY BANKSTOWN COUNCILLOR AND YOUTH WORKER, BILAL EL-HAYEK, SAYING: "I am lucky enough to be able to help those that are a bit more in need and we have wonderful people working together in the community to ensure no one goes home and no one goes to sleep hungry. That's the main thing." COMMUNITY VOLUNTEER AMER YASSINE AND EL-HAYEK DROPPING OFF FOOD DONATED BY GREATER WESTERN SYDNEY FOOTBALL CLUB FOOD IN BOX EL-HAYEK TALKING TO DARLENE AFTER GIVER HER A BOX OF FOOD (SOUNDBITE) (English) SOUTH-WEST SYDNEY RESIDENT, DARLENE, SAYING: "OK, what do I do? I just warm it up? Thank you. Thank you very much." (SOUNDBITE) (English) CANTERBURY BANKSTOWN COUNCILLOR AND YOUTH WORKER, BILAL EL-HAYEK, SAYING: "We're just trying to help out as much as possible. It's been a tough, tough situation. Canterbury Bankstown and other LGA's (local government areas) have been struggling. People lost their jobs. People lost their businesses. People have high mortgages. You know, it's pretty devastating out there. It's really, really tough. I'm glad we're able to help just that bit." EL-HAYEK WALKING WITH BOX OF FOOD VARIOUS OF EL-HAYEK STANDING AT DOOR WITH BOX OF FOOD (SOUNDBITE) (English) VOLUNTEER AMER YASSINE, SAYING: "The vulnerable, the poor are always more thankful and always more generous. Amazing." EL-HAYEK DRIVING AWAY (SOUNDBITE) (English) CANTERBURY BANKSTOWN COUNCILLOR AND YOUTH WORKER, BILAL EL-HAYEK, SAYING: "If people want to know why we do this, this was a really good example, perfect example. It just puts life into perspective. An older lady, we delivered some food to her and she wanted to donate. This is a lady that's already struggling, even financially. She's already struggling financially and she wanted to give back. It's always those that aren't doing too well that want to give back all the time. It's just a very, very heartbreaking story." EL-HAYEK DRIVING CAR (SOUNDBITE) (English) CANTERBURY BANKSTOWN COUNCILLOR AND YOUTH WORKER, BILAL EL-HAYEK, SAYING: "I struggle. It's pretty exhausting but, it's draining, but we can't give up. There are people out there that need something to eat. And it's not fair that I go to bed and they don't have anything to eat, so we've got to make sure that we actually help and support as much as possible." EL-HAYEK WALKING AND TALKING ON PHONE VARIOUS OF LOCAL PHARMACIST AND FRIEND OF EL-HAYEK, MOHAMMED HAMED TALKING TO EL-HAYEK (SOUNDBITE) (English) LOCAL PHARMACIST AND FRIEND OF EL-HAYEK, MOHAMMED HAMED SAYING: "Bilal's been like a mentor to me over the last ten years or so and I've interacted with him a lot in the community and he's been a great servant to our community. So, we're very privileged to have him." LOCAL REAL ESTATE AGENT, BASSAM BARAKE TALKING TO EL-HAYEK (SOUNDBITE) (English) LOCAL REAL ESTATE AGENT, BASSAM BARAKE SAYING: "A lot of people right now are doing it tough and without help from Bilal and what he does, you know, people would be in a worse off state." PERSON GREETING EL-HAYEK ON STREET WITH FIST PUMP
- Embargoed: 27th August 2021 06:07
- Keywords: Australia Bilal El-Hayek COVID-19 Delta Sydney volunteer
- Location: SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA
- City: SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA
- Country: Australia
- Topics: Asia / Pacific,Australia,Health/Medicine
- Reuters ID: LVA001EQ42SEF
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Driving down the locked-down streets of Canterbury Bankstown, Bilal El-Hayek is out delivering food to vulnerable people living in Sydney's worst-hit COVID-19 hotspot.
The city Councillor and youth worker is taking some of the 1,000 pre-cooked meals, donated by Greater Western Sydney football club and Lighthouse Community Support each week, to those struggling financially or unable to leave their homes.
"We're just trying to help out as much as possible. It's been a tough, tough situation. Canterbury Bankstown and other LGA's (local government areas) have been struggling. People lost their jobs. People lost their businesses. People have high mortgages. You know, it's pretty devastating out there," said El- Hayek.
Canterbury Bankstown has 1,330 active coronavirus cases on Thursday (August 12), the highest out of the 5,592 cases in the broader New South Wales state, according to data from the government.
Darlene, a single mother of seven, was thankful for receiving her box of pre-cooked meals on Thursday. Meanwhile, an elderly woman with financial difficulty was so grateful for her food she tried to insist on making a donation as El-Hayek handed over the boxed food at her front door.
"If people want to know why we do this, this is a really good example, perfect example. It just puts life into perspective. An older lady, we delivered some food to her and she wanted to donate. This is a lady that's already struggling, even financially," El- Hayek told Reuters as he made his delivery rounds.
"The vulnerable, the poor are always more thankful and always more generous. Amazing," added another volunteer Amer Yassine as he waited in the driveway.
Although Australia has avoided the high coronavirus numbers of many other countries, the rapid spread of the Delta variant and a slow vaccine rollout have left the country vulnerable.
About three-quarters of New South Wales state's cases come from nine Sydney local government districts, an urban sprawl stretching about 12 km (7.5 miles) southwest of the Sydney Harbour Bridge to the foothills of the Blue Mountains.
Friends of El-Hayek, who immigrated to Australia with his family from Lebanon when he was 11, said the community efforts to help and look out for the vulnerable had made a significant impact on people's lives.
"A lot of people right now are doing it tough and without help from Bilal and what he does, you know, people would be in a worse off state," said real estate agent, Bassam Barake.
Despite the recent outbreaks, Australia still has far lower COVID-19 numbers than many other countries in the developed world, with just over 38,100 cases and 948 deaths.
(Production: Jill Gralow, Travis Teo) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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