Collaboration reaches out to the community

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Holy Fools chief executive officer Neal Taylor with Lauren Pascale and Esther Liu from Lilydale Village. Picture: STEWART CHAMBERS. 408415_07

Lilydale Village, owned by ISPT, will partner with Holy Fools to help vulnerable community members via their community initiative, Operation Care Pack.

Operation Care Pack aims to provide individual personal care packs to 100 local people experiencing financial hardship or homelessness in the Yarra Ranges.

Operation Care Pack runs from Monday 27 May until Sunday 16 June 2024, and Lilydale Village is encouraging the local community to donate individually wrapped new personal hygiene products such as deodorant, shampoo, soap, toothpaste, tissues, hand sanitiser, toothbrushes and other personal hygiene supplies in the collection box located outside Coles. Donations of new socks and beanies are also welcome as these provide warmth during winter.

Lilydale Village centre manager Mark Ensor commented on the importance of helping our vulnerable community members, “Recognising that personal hygiene items are not a luxury but a basic need, we are committed to ensuring the members of our community have access to them through our collaborative effort with Holy Fools.”

All donated products will be evenly divided into personal care packs, which will be distributed to community members who visit Holy Fool’s shower facility in July.

“Since 2009, Holy Fools has been dedicated to serving the Yarra Ranges community. Our vision is a Yarra Ranges where everyone feels at home, and our mission is to eradicate homelessness in the area by 2030, hand in hand with our community and partners. We tirelessly provide homeless people support, advocacy, care, and resources,” Holy Fools chief executive officer Neal Taylor said.

“We can realise our vision by collaborating with our community and partners. Working with like-minded organisations like Lilydale Village, we can make the Yarra Ranges a place where everyone has a home.”

A full list of personal hygiene products for consideration can be found on the Lilydale Village website, lilydalevillage.com.au