With temperatures dropping and expense bills rising, the work of charities in the Nepean area is as important as ever.

One such foundation doing tremendous work in the Nepean community is Mama Lana’s Community Foundation (MLCF), a not-for-profit organisation that provides assistance to the homeless and underprivileged people in the community to advance their wellbeing and prospects for future independence.

The foundation offers hot meals six nights a week, supplies food and toiletry packs, as well as providing clothing, sleeping bags and swags and blankets to keep the homeless and underprivileged warm during cold penrith nights.

Lana and Roger Borg started the foundation off the back of their assiduous work helping the firefighters during the 2013 bushfires. Later in the year, they were invited to cook for the homeless at Christmas time, where the pair discovered the tremendous need for help in the area, and have been rendering assistance ever since.

MLCF is not just about serving nutritious meals to the local community; the long-term goal is to have their own premises with commercial kitchen, showers, toilets and dining room within the local CBD. the premises would be big enough to store donated clothing, furniture and food stocks, while being a warm, inviting environment for the patrons.

The foundation would also like to increase the number of food vans on the road to reach people in locations further afield.

With these determined objectives in mind, the Lions Club of Emu Plains has recently nominated Mama Lana’s Community Foundation for the Piazza D’oro Local Love Project, which sees five NSW finalists eligible for one of two $5,000 prizes. the prize would be well deserved, with Lana Borg saying that the prize would be a huge boost to the foundation.

“The money would mean a great deal to MLCF as it would enable us to accomplish one of the much needed items on our wish list to service our patrons better such as fixing our current storage arrangements to save money on monthly fees, cool room/ freezer storage, improving library facilities and looking into more environmentally friendly serving supplies so we are making less of a footprint.”

The $5,000 prize is available to the top two state finalists determined by popular vote. Voting closes 11:59pm on July 15, 2016 and the voting is limited to one vote per person per day.

Emu Plains Lions Club President, ian West, is urging the community to get behind the foundation, saying “Lana and Roger Borg and their group do a marvellous job and the local community can assist them by something as simple as voting once per day on the Piazza D’oro website.”

To vote, visit www.piazzadoro.com.au/locallove, and for more information on where you can leave goods that can be used by the team, visit http:// mamalanas.org.au