Barbara Radford and the team of dedicated volunteers at Love In Action Broadford work to aid community members in need.
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“You drive through the towns, you drive through Broadford and Kilmore, and you don’t see people struggling,” Barbara Radford said.
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“You go to the shops, and you don’t see people struggling.
“But they’re there.”
Seven years ago, a group of Christians in Broadford brought Love In Action to the community.
The initiative was first introduced to the Mitchell Shire in Wallan, with Jeremy and Sue Scrivens perceiving the need for support in the expanding Wallan area.
Ms Radford, who taught Mr and Mrs Scrivens’ children during her 30-year teaching career, was alerted to the struggle families and individuals were facing in Broadford when Love In Action Wallan began to notice demand further up the Hume Fwy.
Love In Action Broadford now operates with a team of dedicated volunteers who aid people struggling within the town and surrounds.
Where they began with one box for food donations in the local IGA, the team now has multiple collection points, picking up from supermarkets in Kilmore and even Seymour.
With support from Mitchell Shire Council, the group is able to store items in a large pantry and store room at the Broadford Living and Learning Centre.
Each Friday, the council also allows them to operate a food share out of a large room in the same facility, with different sized packages on offer to accommodate for the diverse needs of the community.
Love In Action Broadford relies on support from the generous community, involving participating in raffles facilitated by local clubs and organisations with funds donated to the group.
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Alongside providing underprivileged community members with essential goods, Ms Radford has also identified a positive impact on the mental health of those attending the food share each week.
“The biggest by-product is that it has positively affected the mental health of so many people,” Ms Radford said.
“They get to have a laugh, and chat away, and meet other people, it’s the socialisation.
“They just want to come and tell you what’s happened this week, what their kids have been having trouble with at school, and if we can do anything about it.”
Love In Action Broadford, which has a focus on those struggling within the Broadford and Kilmore area, relies on the community for monetary support.
While both groups in Wallan and Broadford have received grants for items like refrigerators and freezers, neither receives frequent support from the state or federal governments.
With the aid of local businesses and individuals, the group is able to purchase food and pantry items to fill the need.
The group has also received support from the local Men’s Shed, with members creating the donation boxes located in supermarkets around the region, along with the Rotary Club, the Lions Club and primary schools in the area.
Both Love In Action groups in Wallan and Broadford run under the same principle, of locals supporting locals, and Ms Radford said this aids in the smooth running of each.
“It’s managed very easily because we all have similar values and principles; treating others with respect,” Ms Radford said.
“You’ve got to have the same value system.
“The idea is that how we treat the people coming in is really important.
“It’s the bottom line; we don’t judge them.”
Despite sharing this same, underlying principle, each town requires different things, and the groups work because they are run by locals who understand the needs of their town.
Love In Action is all about getting members of the community together to offer what they can, and Ms Radford said she is happy to answer questions from anyone interested in forming a group in their town.
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