The lady I speak to loves the calls and I don't have to say much, she loves to talk.
- Norm Bembrick
Norm Bembrick has been volunteering his time to call people in the Orange community who are experiencing isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic.
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As the membership chairman of the Orange Canobolas Lions Club membership, he said the experience of being a part of the Calare Community Cares initiative has been good.
"The lady I speak to loves the calls and I don't have to say much, she loves to talk," he said.
"When I get off the phone and I feel good about talking to her.
"I think it's a good initiative because there are people that are lonely and struggling and a call is good for some people."
The initiative was kick started by federal member for Calare Andrew Gee at the start of COVID-19 to ensure people in the community are getting the care they need.
Despite the coronavirus pandemic, Mr Bembrick added this service should continue to support vulnerable people.
"There are people who find themselves stuck at home, can't get out and may not have family to talk to so I think it can only be a positive thing to keep it running," he said.
Mr Gee said the Orange Canobolas Lions did the bulk of the regular check-in calls in Orange.
"We were very grateful to be able to refer some constituents who we were particularly worried about to organisations like the Centre for Rural and Remote Mental Health," he said.
"In total my office made approximately 5,000 initial phone calls to local residents, including about 2,000 from the Orange region.
"Calare Community Care was a simple concept, but I think it has made a big, and hopefully long-lasting, impact to many in our community."
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