Foundation lends a helping hand

MEMBERS of the Helping Hands Ballarat Keralites Foundation of Australia have been busy organising a host of activities to support the community during COVID-19 lockdown.

Only having registered the charity in May this year, the association focusses on providing social and cultural support to the Ballarat region.

Over the course of the last three months, the organisation has undertaken a significant number of projects to assist the wider

community get through this tough time.

To help specifically students in the region, the BKFA organised online support to school kids, delivered two 10-kilogram boxes of fruit to Alfredton Primary School weekly, hosted a chess club at Dana Street Primary School fortnightly and continue to encourage students to write letters and draw pictures for aged care residents.

For families, the BKFA provided 135 food hampers to those in need, offered support mums by donating 16 boxes of new and second hand dresses and continue to offer free masks to disadvantaged and vulnerable people.

To add to its ever-growing list of projects, the foundation also regularly cooks Indian meals for the Soup Bus, offers medial and financial support, music and art therapy and a children’s cooking show on YouTube.

Secretary of Helping Hands BKFA and social worker Raju Chacko said that he recognised a need in the community and saw people struggling and that he and his team were enthusiastic to help.

“We’re so happy and proud of all of the different branches of our organisation from the kids, university students and women and men who are all engaged in different social activities,” he said.

“When we came to Australia from a different background, the community accepted us as their own so we see this as our moral responsibility to give back to the community, they supported us so this is the time that we support them.

“We hope our work will motivate other community organisations to undertake similar community activities.”

To learn more or get involved with the organisation and activities, visit facebook.com and search.