Sharing city’s love online
Louise Godfrey has found a unique way to fill needs in the community. She started the Community Angels Facebook page where charity organisations, social workers and health professionals approach her with specific needs and she lets the community know.
‘‘People just join the page and basically as I get a referral in I’ll put up a post and say this is what I need,’’ she said.
Most often the things she’s after are items for children like clothing, furniture or things for school. These donations are then dropped off at Godfrey’s home where it’s picked up by the person who’s made the referral.
‘‘It’s all anonymous, I don’t need to know details,’’ she said.
‘‘I just know that there’s a need and if other families have got things that they’re happy to pass on then they just drop it off.
‘‘It’s just a pay it forward but it’s not a monetary thing. I don’t ask for donations.’’
Godfrey realised there was a need for Community Angels through her involvement at Kids’ Market, held at Highlands Intermediate.
‘‘There are people that want to donate things.’’
At the end of each market they make a mass donation to different organisations in the community.
‘‘But in between there’s families that need things now,’’ she said.
Quite often when a referral to the page comes through, it’s filled within a couple of days, she said.
‘‘There’s really a need out there for something that’s more immediate and maybe a little quicker than what agencies can provide.’’
It comes in ebbs and flows because some weeks she might get two or three requests, then during others there’s none.
‘‘It’s probably the collection and distribution that takes a bit of time because I do sort through things,’’ she said.
I choose to do it and the reward is when you get the feedback from the person who’s done the referral.’’
One of the most recent examples of the page in action was when Community Angels did a call for the Red Cross, which needed donations of clothing for its winter warmer packs.
Community Angels has more than 500 members and more are welcome. ‘‘It’s just families helping out other families,’’ she said.