How Lisa Wallis helps elderly in Brisbane during coronavirus outbreak

Meet the Brisbane resident who stood up straight away to help the elderly during the current coronavirus outbreak.

Lisa Wallis is helping her local Wynnum community by collecting goods and donating them to our most vulnerable. Picture: AAP/Renae Droop

WHILE most people sat back in disgust, watching residents all across Brisbane panic buy and leaving the elderly stuck without supplies during the coronavirus outbreak, one resident decided to do something about it.

And she did it immediately.

Wynnum West’s Lisa Wallis started Wynnum Manly Supplies for the Elderly on Facebook last week in the hope of delivering essential items to those most vulnerable.

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“I went to the shops and saw people, who desperately needed things to get them through, as well as others on television not being able to buy products because of the way others were acting and thought I really needed to do something,” Ms Wallis said.

“I couldn’t get the image of an elderly lady at the shops out of my head, she was walking through empty aisles and couldn’t buy anything.

“Then you have others who are using newspaper to wipe their bottoms because they don’t have any toilet paper, it’s sad.

Lisa Wallis is helping her local Wynnum community by collecting goods and donating them to our most vulnerable. Picture: AAP/Renae Droop

“These are really crazy times and we need to help those who can’t do it all themselves.

“These people need toilet paper, need food among other things but can’t always get down to the shops and travel around to other places, like others if they needed to.”

Since starting the Facebook page, Ms Wallis has been amazed by the generosity of local residents after being flooded with donations from people in the bayside community.

She and the few people helping her have delivered close to 200 care packs to people around the community and to Wynnum Manly Meals on Wheels.

The care packs include two rolls of toilet paper, toothpaste and a toothbrush, pasta and rice as well as other essential items.

Due to the incredible response, she developed care packs that she has been delivering non-stop across bayside suburbs as well as other parts of Brisbane’s southeast.

Ms Wallis said baysiders have shown their true colours during the coronavirus outbreak.

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“It’s absolutely incredible, we have had so many donations from all kinds of people in the area to help others,” she said.

“We have had a lot of donations from younger people, say from the aged 21-30 range and we’ve had multiple people who have come back multiple times and donated.

“We have been going all day everyday since starting the page and that’s all because of the contributions of others in the community.

“Some people really want to help, even if they don’t have much themselves.”

But while the local community has helped her cause, Ms Wallis said she has been devastated by some of the actions of people around Australia since the outbreak.

“To be honest, some of the stuff I have seen has made me really flat,” she said.

“Obviously we’ve had some people do a lot to help out but there’s been so many selfish actions during this as well.

“People selfishly buying heaps of items that other people need as well, people not abiding by the social distancing advice and things like that, its been really disappointing.

“At a time like this, we really need to ban together, Australians are people that look after each other and unfortunately that’s not the case in a lot of places at the moment.

“I get people are panicking and it is scary but we can do better.”

Ms Wallis said they had care packs ready to deliver if anyone in the community needed them. If you or someone you knows needs a care pack, call 0499 877 740.

For more information or to donate, visit Wynnum Manly Supplies for the Elderly on Facebook.