25 May 2020
If there’s a silver lining at this time, it’s experiencing our community pull together.
Over the past few months, we have seen global events that we hadn’t preempted, human agility that we couldn’t have imagined and community collaboration that we will forever remember.
The impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic are widespread and evident in our local communities – uncertainty, isolation and financial strain are a reality for many people, compounded daily by reminders of social regulations and how to stay safe. What isn’t so visible is the powerful, behind-the-scenes community spirit borne of the pandemic.
Faced with forced business shutdown in February, the team at the Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre began exploring ways to help our local community. With a skilled group of chefs, event managers and leaders, a commercial kitchen, some free time and a lot of goodwill, we reached out to our community to action a plan to generate much needed meals.
We received immediate and generous support from suppliers, including Coastal Fresh and Metcash (IGA), as well as a cash donation from the Gold Coast Community Fund. Combined with the efforts of Love This City and Global Care, we have seen around 30,000 meal portions cooked and packed in our kitchen, on their way to local Gold Coasters doing it tough.
Dedicated to a thriving healthy and connected community, Love This City has formed partnerships with other agencies to ensure that meals are provided to the community. To get involved in donating or find out more about the meals, click here.
Media, tourism and MICE industry partners have also shown enormous support of our project by sharing stories with their wider audiences, in turn attracting further assistance. If there’s a silver lining during the COVID-19 pandemic, this is it for us at GCCEC.
Learn more about this project below: