By Alesha Capone
Adrian Chng is helping to strengthen community connections during the coronavirus pandemic.
Mr Chng is founder and administrator of the Melbourne Western Suburbs Coronaforum Facebook page. He has also started dropping coffees off to his fellow Point Cook residents.
Mr Chng said he began working from home in March and has been missing out on the social connections a workplace provides – an experience which many people are having in lockdown.
He said that one of the aims of the Melbourne Western Suburbs Coronaforum was to connect and support community members during lockdown.
Another aim of the page is to inform members about the latest rules, regulations and research related to COVID-19, especially in the west.
Within three weeks, the page has grown to more than 2500 members.
“That’s given me a lot of joy, once you connect to the local community, you feel like you know them, even though you have never physically met them,” Mr Chng said.
Mr Chng said he has also started doing coffee runs to Point Cook residents he has connected with on the Facebook forum.
To maintain social distancing, he drops the coffees off at people’s front doors, then texts the person to let them know.
“I just find that it’s something nice to do,” he said.
Mr Chng said doing the coffee runs was also a way to support local cafes during the lockdown.
“Since March, I’ve been starting to re-connect with the local area and local people, which I have really enjoyed,” he said.
