Australia's Local Hero of the Year 2023, Amar Singh, dreams of an Australia where kids are proud of their lunch box. Read more:
Mr Singh became an Australian citizen in 2000, and said he has been a proud Australian Sikh ever since."A turban-wearing Sikh stood out and were suddenly seen as a bad person, a threat because of the way they looked," he said.
"The first victim of a hate attack in the United States was a Sikh service station owner. Sikhs in Australia became targets of hate as well, including me."A time when he was verbally abused while truck driving in Sydney in 2014 was "the last straw".Mr Singh decided to share his story with radio host Ray Hadley and asked him to visit his community temple - which he accepted.
"If we build walls around ourselves, how can we expect people to know about our faith, values and community?" Mr Singh said.Following the visit - during which Mr Singh shared a story about being called a "terrorist" while working in Wollongong - Hadley asked him to tell the story on live radio. "I was gobsmacked when the same bloke who had called me a terrorist in Wollongong rang 2GB and apologised," he said.If we build walls around ourselves, how can we expect people to know about our faith, values and community?"I had changed the mind of one person by being open and reaching out.""So the more we can open our hearts and arms to each other, the better things will be. That's what I decided to do.
Every week, the charity packages and distributes up to 450 food and grocery hampers to those experiencing food insecurity in Western Sydney.
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