Highlights
- Sikh group handpicked us finalists for the 'Resilient Australia Awards'
- Australian Sikh Support provided aid and assistance to communities impacted during bushfire and COVID crisis
- 'Resilient Australia Awards' are sponsored by government in partnership with states and territories
The Resilient Australia Awards celebrate and promote initiatives that build community resilience to disasters and emergencies around the country.
The Australian Sikh Support has been recognised for providing aid and assistance to severely impacted communities during the bushfire and COVID-19 pandemic crisis in Victoria, South Australia and New South Wales in 2020.
Gurjeet Singh, the secretary of the not-for-profit organisation, said their volunteers started helping out the communities during the drought season in 2018, followed by which they initiated the Disaster Relief project to provide assistance to communities during the bushfire crisis year later.
"In 2018, we raised $30,000 to purchase four B-Double loads of hay to help the Cobar community in NSW during drought.
"When bushfires struck, we helped the communities that had lost their homes and livelihoods with essential items and farm equipment. In addition, our volunteers raised funds and prepared fresh meals for the affected families during the fire crisis," he said.
Mr Singh said the group swung into action again when the pandemic struck and upended lives across the country.
Australian Sikh Support volunteers providing free meals to bushfire affected communities. Source: Supplied by Manpreet Singh Sapra
"We provided hundreds of free vegetarian cooked meals and grocery kits to people in isolation, including international students and frontline workers in hospitals," he added.
Mr Singh said the selfless volunteers of the group have carried out all the initiatives without any aid or support from the government.
The 'Resilient Australia Awards' are sponsored by the federal government in partnership with the jurisdictions and managed by the Australian Institute for Disaster Resilience to commemorate the achievements that might otherwise go unseen and inspire others to build greater disaster resilience within their own communities.
Source: Supplied by Manpreet Singh Sapra
Click on the player above to listen to the interview in Punjabi.
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