Harshan Singh is more than grateful to the Rotary Club of Corrimal.
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The Indian national and University of Wollongong student is also thankful to other groups in the community helping him and fellow international students with non-perishable food items, clothing and other essential items.
Mr Singh was working and studying when he first arrived in Australia but lost his job in the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Indian Association of Wollongong representative Nav Mittal said the association has been assisting Mr Singh and other international students in his predicament.
"Jobs were available until COVID-19, so now there is no income, no work, and it is a difficult time," Mr Mittal said.
"Parents cannot access banks to send money to their sons and daughters.
"We are helping students as much as we can, thanks partly to the generosity of organisations such as Rotary.
"We will continue to help as much as we can but hope governments also step up and provide support."
Rotary Club of Corrimal president Yvette Murada said Rotary and the other groups were helping about 350 international students.
"We help out as much as we can, by giving them food, clothing, blankets and any other toiletry items. But they also need more funding from the government... anything from the government because they are isolated, they are stuck, they can't reach over to family," Mrs Murada said.
This view was backed by Illawarra Labor politicians Paul Scully, Ryan Park and Sharon Bird.
Federal Cunningham MP Sharon Bird said students who come to Wollongong to study at UOW provide millions of dollars to this economy.
"We rely on these international students to be part of our local economy," Ms Bird said.
"The university has stepped up, they've got their hardship fund which is great. Community groups such as Rotary have also stepped up. Governments need to step up as well."
Wollongong MP Paul Scully was in agreement.
"My message to the NSW Government generally is that it shouldn't be left to communities and community organisations to pick up the slack on this," Mr Scully said.
"If you want international students here in the good times, then there is a reasonable expectation that you will support them in the bad times as well.
"And, if you want them to come back, that is the sort of hospitality and generosity we should extend to people because at the end we are dealing with people who are cut off from their families.
"If our kids were on the other side of the world in the same situation we would expect their host nations to be stepping up as well."