Unsung hero steps up
THE coronavirus pandemic has seen “panic-buying” clearing supermarket shelves of essential supplies, but one local hero is going the extra mile to make sure vulnerable groups are protected from the hysteria.
Warwick resident and working single mother of two Emma Lenz put a call-out on social media offering to purchase and deliver groceries to the elderly, those with a disability, or anyone else in the local community who might be doing it tough.
As a merchandiser working across the town’s major retailers, Ms Lenz saw firsthand how their aisles were stripped bare of household staples like toilet paper, rice and bread.
She also saw the impact on those groups already more susceptible to an outbreak.
“I know there’s a lot of elderly people or those with cancer and other illnesses who are alone and scared, so if they need someone to pop to the shops for them, I’m more than able to,” she said.
“Working in supermarkets, I’m here every single day, and took being on the front line for granted. I have a car and I can get to the shops every day, so if it’s hard for me, it must be difficult for those who don’t have the same luxuries.”
For Ms Lenz, panic-buying across the Southern Downs has cut down her viable working hours, meaning a lower income and less capability to provide for her young family.
“Because the shelves are empty, there’s no stock for us to count or do merchandising. I had the opportunity to do night-fills, but I can’t because the shift wouldn’t earn me enough to pay for a babysitter.”
“Then, I went to Aldi on Sunday and only had $5 to get pasta as a cheap dinner, but low supplies meant I couldn’t even get that. I had to make toast for the kids and I instead.”
Both the Woolworths and Coles stores in Warwick are included in the companies’ initiatives to isolate the first hour of trade for the elderly and those with disability. While she supports the initiative, Ms Lenz believes the panic-buying is symptomatic of a broader social issue, rather than one specific to the coronavirus.
“It’s an individual issue that takes individual responsibility to stop, but no one is willing to do that. We need to value community wealth more than individual, and understand you have more value in the community than you realise.”