RedLink are a brilliant organisation working in collaboration with community members associated with the Redfern Towers housing estate. They function as an “inter-agency hub”, providing support and services, and linking people with government and community organisations in the most useful ways possible.
Their community had a big scare recently with a Covid-19 cluster and lockdown. Dealing with it has not been easy. As an article in the Sydney Morning Herald explained, everyone was “scared as hell … all of a sudden it just hit us.”
After reading the Sydney Morning Herald story about the Covid spike in the three Redfern Towers, restaurateur Kylie Kwong immediately contacted Margaret Macrae at RedLink about what might be needed there.
A well-known chef, Kylie has been working with us creating beautiful, culturally-appropriate food relief hampers for the Asian community. It’s typical of her to go the extra mile and build a bridge between Addi Road and Redlink: “I asked Addi Road if they could help out,” Kylie says, “and, as usual, 100 bags of groceries were packed within a second!”
Margaret Macrae came and picked up the hampers just a quickly. People in the Towers really needed that food. It was a fantastic exercise in community groups working together, harnessing the trust and working knowledge that can only come from grassroots organisations.
Redlink have also been able to work with health authorities to set up a Covid testing clinic at their Poets Corner, more usually a gathering place for their arts and community activities, morning teas, and men’s and women’s groups.
Covid-19 may have stopped those events for now – but not the good work Redlink is doing from health to well-being and maintaining connectedness on so many levels, including bringing our hampers to those caught up in a sudden lockdown.
Thank you Kylie, Margaret, RedLink, Poets Corner and everyone in Redfern. We’re glad to be working with you.
#thisiscommunity #RedLink #AddiRoad #Redfern #PoetsCorner #Marrickville #foodjustice
Video interview with Margaret Macrae of RedLink here: IMG_1783
You can find out more about Redlink here.
Margaret Macrae of RedLink loading up at Addi Road Food Relief Hub, Marrickville.