Christine Mastello
8th November 2022
Mr GREG PIPER (Lake Macquarie)—I want to acknowledge and thank the extraordinary Christine Mastello, founder and CEO of Southlakes Incorporated. Christine is a legend not only in Lake Macquarie but across the state and was one of just four finalists for the 2023 Australian of the Year Local Hero award. Over the past 10 years Christine and her team of 35 volunteers have fed more than one million people and delivered emergency food packs throughout the COVID-19 pandemic via the group's food bank at Cooranbong. In 2017 Christine launched the Community Hair Project and has since provided 60,000 free haircuts to homeless people. Last year, Southlakes Incorporated donated $1.2 million worth of food, toiletries and clothing throughout NSW. She is currently preparing to launch the Share Your Home project which will match homeless women and teenagers with people who have a spare room in their house for three months of free accommodation. Christine believes that no Australian should go hungry and that everyone should feel cared for and valued. She is an unstoppable force when it comes to achieving these goals, and I thank her for everything she has contributed to the local community so far.
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