I get excited because I see members of the community, who have found a problem or a gap in services, taking up arms.

We know families finding it hard to make ends meet.

We have members of our community who struggle to put a meal on the table, there are people of all backgrounds and ages without a place to call home and there are those of us who are just lonely.

We know there is a need for initiatives and programs like this to help.

But rather than sitting on our hands and saying: “Someone should do something about this”.

There are people like Lyne Graham and other members of the Carevan committee who say: “I’m going to do something about it”.

It is for this reason, I congratulate them.

Their dedication and their commitment to getting this project off the ground is truly inspiring and I say well done to you all.

I also congratulate the businesses, organisations, schools and volunteers who have already raised their hands to help get the wheels in motion by February next year.

We’ve seen what Carevan can do in other areas. I can’t wait to see what it can do here in Wagga.

So when someone asks, “what can we do about it?” We can point to Carevan - and other charities across the city - and we can say: “This”, “This is what we can do about it”.

And I encourage anyone with resources to share or time to spare, to jump on board and help out.

Whether it's donating a warehouse or food or whether it’s giving up a few hours of your time to deliver and share in a sit-down meal with a stranger, this is how we can make a difference.

Through connection, conversation and kindness, we can keep helping each other and building our community.