A Border multicultural community group will distribute emergency food packages in Wodonga on Saturday to support residents impacted by COVID-19.
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The Albury Wodonga Multicultural Community Events leader Bhakta Bhattarai said 100 emergency food relief packages would be handed out in front of the Cube courtyard in Wodonga between 9am and 2pm on Saturday October 30.
"These packages are more targeted to the communities that have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic," he said.
"That includes the migrant communities, international students, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders and vulnerable Australian families."
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Mr Bhattarai said about 20 volunteers from different ethnic backgrounds had registered to deliver the packages.
"We are from the African communities, we are from the Philippine communities and also from the Bhutanese, Nepalese communities and also from Indian and Punjabi community as well," he said.
"Anyone who wants to volunteer on the day, we are happy for you to join us to help and this will benefit the community."
Mr Bhattarai said the packages were worth between $85 and $100.
"We are having 20 kilograms of rice, two litres of oil, there will be noodles as well, we have 50 face masks, 1 kilogram of salt, 2 kilograms of sugar, cornflakes, and biscuits in each box," he said.
Mr Bhattarai said it was challenging for non-English speaking Border residents to understand information around COVID-19.
"Pretty much they have a language barrier," he said.
"With this COVID outbreak in Albury and Wodonga they're a bit cautious.
"We need to be aware of that, and the elderly people in the community, they don't have knowledge about it, so we are having to provide the information in their own languages."
He said some COVID information was available online in diverse languages, but the Albury exposure site listings were being updated frequently.
"We are also giving information, writing it on a piece of paper, writing it and telling them verbally," he said.
"But approximately 4000 people have a language barrier [on the Border]."
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