Mike Freelander (Macarthur, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I enjoyed that ending; thank you to the member for Bennelong. I just want to say thank you to my community for what they have done during the pandemic. They have demonstrated the reason I am so proud of them. They have shown selflessness, they've shown spirit and, above all, they've shown community. In particular I want to call out two of our locals; there are really too many to name.

The first one is Rose from our Arts Centre Cafe. We have a big arts centre at Campbelltown with a wonderful cafe serving fantastic food. Rose and her team have been preparing and giving meals to the most disadvantaged in our community, transported by their staff. They have provided hundreds and hundreds of meals, free of charge, to the most disadvantaged in our community. I congratulate Rose, her team and the Arts Centre itself for the work they have done in our community.

I would also like to congratulate the Lomandra Community Pantry. Lomandra is a specialist school for children with learning and behavioural difficulties, and they have set up a pantry throughout the pandemic to provide food parcels for people who are very disadvantaged, who maybe cannot get out to the shops or cannot afford decent food. They have provided that on an ongoing basis, free of charge.

Thanks to all in my community for their wonderful spirit. It has been a difficult time during the pandemic for many businesses, but they have shown the spirit that Macarthur is famous for.

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