Helping provide essentials in the Westernport region

The team at Long Island Point (LIP) Plant have thrown their support behind a local community initiative to help those in need due to the COVID-19 pandemic crisis.
Image Pictured with some of the LIP team donations are LIP Plant Administration Assistant Lesley Birkinshaw (l) and Western Port Community Support Executive Officer Georgia Hourn (r).
Pictured with some of the LIP team donations are LIP Plant Administration Assistant Lesley Birkinshaw (l) and Western Port Community Support Executive Officer Georgia Hourn (r).
Western Port Community Support are a not-for-profit community-based organisation located in Hastings. Operating for more than 40 years, they are the largest provider of emergency relief and essential support for those in need in the Westernport region.  

Since the pandemic began, they have seen a 70 percent increase in the demand for essential food parcels, material aid and emergency relief amongst economically impacted people in the local region.

LIP Administration Assistant Lesley Birkinshaw was instrumental in rallying the LIP team to get behind Western Port Community Support, explaining that she really wanted to provide tangible assistance to those in the community currently doing it tough.

“Western Port Community Support are providing home delivery of food parcels, food vouchers, cooked meals and material aid to anyone who is vulnerable, isolated or in hardship. 

“By organising a collection area at site for donations of non-perishable food and personal use items, our team has been able to support those in need in our community. I am hoping we’ll be able to maintain donating a full tub to Western Port Community Support each week as this situation continues,” she said.

Lesley had the full support of the LIP leadership team in taking the initiative on supporting this important local cause. LIP Plant Manager David McCord said contributing to local community groups and initiatives remained a priority for LIP.

“I’m so proud of our team for their personal contributions to this cause. We all have an important role to play in looking out for those who are most vulnerable in our community, he said.

Georgia Hourn, Executive Officer, Western Port Community Support, said that one of the few positives to emerge from this crisis was seeing the generous spirit of the local community.
 
“We rely on community donations and grants to buy the grocery items for our pantry so the support of Esso Australia and Long Island Point Plant team will make a huge difference to our emergency relief program,” they said. 

Esso Australia will add to the support provided by the team at LIP Plant by making a corporate contribution to Western Port Community Support.