Tasmanian LBT members may wish to respond to the following appeal from Jeremy Rockliff, Minister for Disability Services and Community Development.

'Tasmanians are being urged to register to volunteer as part of a coordinated response to COVID-19 to deliver a range of essential services in Tasmanian communities. As part of our Economic and Support Package, the Tasmanian Government provided $130,000 to mobilise volunteers through EVCREW (emergency volunteers crew), as well as engagement with local councils.  So far another 300 volunteers have responded to the call to mobilise Tasmania’s very own volunteer army for the pandemic response, on top of more than 12,000 emergency volunteers who had already registered to respond to natural disasters.  Volunteers can be tasked with delivering a range of essential services such as community transport, meal delivery, social connection, and shopping. They may also help with food packaging, shopping, dropping off food and medical supplies.  Importantly, as a volunteer you will be briefed on ways to protect your health and safety while working in this environment.  With many of Tasmania’s volunteers over 65 years old and much more vulnerable to the virus, we need more volunteers to put their hand up to ensure Tasmanians get the help they need during the pandemic.  COVID-19 is presenting challenges we have never had to deal with before, but overwhelmingly Tasmanians have taken the responsibility of physical distancing seriously, which is allowing us all to work together through this.  On behalf of the Tasmanian Government I’d like to express my gratitude for the rapid response and hard work that many community sector organisations and their volunteers have delivered to support our entire community, especially those who would have found this situation far tougher without it.  Tasmanians who now wish to volunteer can register for EVCREW at  https://www.volunteeringtas.org.au/for-volunteers/emergency-volunteering/ '