TSL club Glenorchy has sent in the Magpie Army to help out in corona crisis

They have gone from kicking goals on the field to kicking goals off it – TSL club Glenorchy has delpoyed the Magpie Army to help the most volunerable members of their community.

Coach of the Glenorchy District Football Club, Paul Kennedy has been delivering care packs to the local community during the COVID-19 pandemic. Picture: Zak Simmonds

NO footy, no worries for the team at TSL club Glenorchy.

One of Tasmania’s biggest football clubs, the Magpies have already racked up 250 volunteer hours by players, coaches, officials and members sorting and delivering care packages to their local community’s most vulnerable in the coronavirus crisis.

“Since the virus situation kicked off we’ve been at the food bank three or four days a week working to prepare food that gets sent out, and doing deliveries each week for West Moonah Community House,” said Glenorchy’s senior coach Paul Kennedy.

Coach of the Glenorchy District Football Club, Paul Kennedy has been delivering car packs to the local community alongside other volunteers (rear) LR Gennaveve Sullivan, Craig Kemp, Anita McPherson, Kendal Browning, Jordan West, Leigh McAdam and Nat Gulliver. Picture: Zak Simmonds

“We’ve had 45 different people from our club volunteer to help out.

“That will grow next week because Palena, our sister netball club, are sending people to help and some of our club’s partners are sending some of their people to help as well.

“It’s a major operation.”

GLENORCHY CAPTAIN BACK FOR RECORD-EQUALLING SEASON

Working at the Food Bank was an eye-opener.

“It makes you realise what an amazing job they do in regular times and the volunteers who are there week in, week out during the year do an awesome job,” Kennedy said.

“We’re just going in to fill the breach for those guys.

“They get deliveries in from various places, like the big supermarkets and other suppliers, and we help them organise it and store it.

“We then pack it into food hampers, which get delivered out to people.”

The flow of care packs from West Moonah Community House has quadrupled.

“When we first went in there, there were 16 deliveries,” Kennedy said.

“Last week they packed 87 care boxes and we delivered just under half of those, and the other half were pick-ups.

“The demand has grown four-fold in a month for a service like that, which tells you what is happening out there in the community.”