Rotary’s gift warming the streets

ROTARY Club of Ocean Grove has continued its support of the Bellarine Salvo Outreach Van with a donation of 100 thermal rescue blankets.

The outreach van visits people around the Bellarine and Geelong, providing them with food and checking in on people in the region who are sleeping rough, often supporting them with vouchers, clothing and toiletries.

Ocean Grove Rotary member and Bellarine Salvo Outreach Van volunteer Andrea Tierney said the rescue blankets go pretty quickly within the community.

“They don’t replace a warm blanket or sleeping bag, but they certainly help against the cold and the rain.

“As you can imagine, people who are homeless can’t always hang on to their things long term, so they are looking for blankets regularly, looking for warm clothes or these thermal rescue blankets, [which] hopefully add a layer of protection as well.”

On top of supporting the outreach van, each year Rotary also donates vouchers towards the Bellarine Salvation Army for children in the area going to school and has put funding towards a family therapist.

Rotary has had a strong connection with having a strong connection with the Bellarine Salvation Army since Di Hobbs spoke at the club.

“Di Hobbs spoke at our club maybe two years ago and she spoke about the outreach van and it really struck a chord with me that I’m living this really privileged life,” Ms Tierney said.

“It’s nice to be able to give back to the community a little bit.”

“One of our members actually fixed up the back of the outreach van off his own bat and it’s a lot more functional now when we take it out on a Friday night.”

The community is encouraged to help out by donating blankets and warm clothes to the Salvation Army Op Shop in Ocean Grove to help support the van.

Financial donations can also be made at salvationarmy.org.au/bellarinepeninsula