God's provision fills bare shelves at Shire Salvos

(Back row): Tradies General Manager Jason McMaster, Shire Salvos Miranda Mission Leader, Lieut-Colonel David Godkin, Hopefield’s Matthew Cottam. (Front row): Tradies volunteers Peggy and Anna with Shire Salvos Miranda Community Coordinator, Moira Guthrie. 

In March this year, the team at Shire Salvos looked at the empty shelves at the Community Co-Op Sutherland Shire, which is housed at the Salvos’ food relief and assistance centre in Miranda, and prayed.

“The shelves were looking really bare,” said Shire Salvos Miranda Mission Leader, Lieut-Colonel David Godkin. “We had started the year full of food donations, thanks to the generosity of our community during the Christmas period, but with the cost of living hurting so many people, we have been called upon to assist more and more families and individuals in need. So stock was very, very low.”

The team didn’t despair though. Having supported the Sutherland Shire community with food relief and other assistance for so many years, they knew that whenever there is a need, God always provides.

“Oh, it happens all the time,” said David. “God is incredible! One moment we are worried about a lack of meals in our freezer, and then a whole team of amazing home-chefs from our nearby St Stylianos Greek Orthodox Church will arrive with 100 individual meals! We are so blessed.”

A similar occurrence happened after Easter. One of the staff members from partner organisation, The Trades, who support the Community Co-Op Sutherland Shire, of which Shire Salvos is a founding member, saw a photo of the co-op on social media and noticed that the shelves looked empty. So, the Tradies decided to run an Easter food drive and their staff and club members responded generously.

The result was two car-loads of grocery items to fill the shelves at the co-op: “We thank God for our amazing partners at The Tradies,” said David. “Not only do staff members generously donate their time at the Community Co-Op Sutherland Shire, they support in other ways such as the food drive. It’s great to know that there are so many people in our community who want to help others.”

Shire Salvos Miranda supports hundreds of families and individuals every week through its food relief and assistance centre. Offering not only food, but support through case management, alcohol and other drugs counsellors, Moneycare financial counselling, Drive for Life and journeying with people through The Salvation Army’s Positive Lifestyle Program. Its participation in, and hosting of the Community Co-Op Sutherland Shire allows Shire Salvos to partner with other charities in the local area in the fight against food poverty.