Adventist youth in South Australia are working to supply food boxes to a demographic that have been largely overlooked in the COVID-19 crisis: international university students.

“A number of them haven’t been able to go back home with everything that’s been happening,” explained South Australia Conference youth director, Pastor Joel Slade. “Many of them have also lost their jobs because the hospitality industries they were employed in have been shut down. The government doesn’t provide any support, and many of their parents are also struggling financially back home so can’t help.”

Every Wednesday, young people involved with South Australia Youth Ministries (SAYM) have been gathering to collect and assemble food into boxes to be sent out to an international dormitory in Adelaide, home to mostly PhD students from the city’s three major universities.

“We were delivering individual boxes to 80 students but now we just supply them with a large delivery of goods for their communal kitchen,” Slade explained.

Each delivery costs about AU$3.00 (US$1.96) per person—thanks to services like AusHarvest and Food Bank—and consists of fresh produce as well as imperishable and pre-made meals donated by a local café. According to Slade, the success of the operation is thanks to mobilizing lots of people through partnerships with the local community.

“We’ve built a relationship with the dorm manager who arranges when we can deliver the goods to the students,” he explained. “We’ve also connected with a local café in the area which used to employ about ten international students. They can’t afford to employ the students anymore, but still want to help them.”

The response to the food delivery ministry has been overwhelmingly positive, and Slade is excited about how the ministry—through connecting international and Adventist university students—will continue beyond the COVID-19 crisis.

“We’ve been trying to connect with this demographic for a while,” he explained. “We’re hoping to continue with a pizza and hangout ministry for the students; the food delivery is now building a relationship where, when the restrictions lift, we can invite these guys back for a meal.”

This article was originally published on the website of Adventist Record