Mani Sidara believes it's her civic duty to help her local community. So much so, she's started a YouTube channel where she translates health orders and information on the pandemic in the Lao language.
"There was a need for information about health orders and restrictions to be translated into our community language quickly, because of the continually changing environment, so people could keep up and do the right thing," Ms Sidara told ABC Radio Sydney.
"People struggled to keep up with the rules at the beginning because it was all in English.
Ms Sidara does this in a volunteer capacity in her own time, as part of a small team.
"After work and on the weekends I put myself in the right mindset and would prepare myself by putting on my make-up — even though I was tired — I was determined to help my local community," she said.
Police presence causes fear
Originally from Laos in Southeast Asia, Ms Sidara arrived in Australia in 1990 as a refugee and grew up in Sydney's Campbelltown area.
She now lives in Moorebank in south-west Sydney and says many in the community have been put off by the strict security measures and high-visibility policing during lockdown.
"Community members were hesitant even to go out and buy essential food."
She says vaccine hesitancy is also an issue she works hard to address by giving community members accurate information to absorb.
"People who didn't have Medicare and people who were reluctant to get the vaccine were willing to come to the temple for vaccination because it was a safe place for them," Ms Sidara said.
The Juanita Phillips of Cabramatta West
Ms Sidara is one of a growing number of Sydney citizens using social media to help other community members.
Srey Kang is the Juanita Phillips of Cabramatta West.
She's been working overtime to film news bulletins in-language for Sydney's Khmer community.
The registered nurse, who works in palliative care, sets aside her lunch breaks to compile the bulletins which she broadcasts via Facebook Live.
"It's really difficult because the language barrier is number one," Ms Kang said.
"Number two, the information is changing so quick."
Ms Kang usually posts updates twice a day and says it's making a difference in her community.
"In terms of wearing masks, social distancing, staying at home, vaccination, all of that teamwork in the community, that makes our people understand in our own language and they feel reassured and they feel safe to go and get vaccinated."
Free meals for health workers
Rose and Hans Versteeg own the Campbelltown Arts Centre Cafe which is closed, but they're using their cooking skills to make free meals for healthcare workers and those who are struggling in Sydney's west.
"There's only so much Netflix you can watch," Ms Versteeg said.
"We're also getting these meals to the COVID ward at Campbelltown Hospital, which is great because these guys are working really hard at the moment.
"Having a nutritious, healthy home-cooked meal in the fridge in the staff room is keeping them going."
Ms Versteeg says it's a community effort.
"We've had some donations from local businesses in terms of fruit and veggies, we're getting a lot of the meat and supplies that we need at cost price or at really good prices," she said.
Lots more where that came from
With the hotspots of west and south-west Sydney, the epicentre of the city's rising COVID-19 numbers, the community spirit being shown by people pitching in to help their fellow Sydneysiders isn't going unnoticed, with listeners to ABC Radio Sydney raving about the generosity of locals.
"These special women are exactly why I am proud of our community," said one anonymous texter.
"Wonderful, wonderful work. Thank you for sharing."
