An impromptu traffic officer wearing a flannel shirt instructs vehicles to quickly pull over across the road from where thousands of Melbourne residents are in strict lockdown.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Groups of young people then rush to unload car trunks packed with groceries.
Many others arrive with trolleys and wait in line wearing masks and gloves to check in before taking the goods into the AMSSA Centre in North Melbourne.
The mosque has become a temporary warehouse where volunteers scramble to separate fresh products, cans and other food.
A feeling of urgency resonates as organisers try to figure out what products are still missing.
Nur Shanino is one of the community leaders trying to coordinate the volunteers.
He said the decision to self-organise to provide residents with groceries came after they heard some families didn't have access to everything they needed.
"People contacted family saying they were still hungry, we don't have milk, we don't have oil," he told AAP.
"So basically people connected on social media and decided to drop products here while we try to sort it out."
The mosque where they've set up camp was closed due to coronavirus restrictions.
One problem had been communication with the health department to deliver the goods to the people in need, Mr Shanino said.
The volunteers had talks with the Department of Health and Human Services and local government to work out the best way to distribute the food inside the quarantined buildings.
Those talks paid off late on Monday afternoon, with some goods being distributed from the volunteer centre into the locked-down buildings.
Police Association President Wayne Gatt walked into the improvised distribution centre earlier on Monday and said taking the food to residents can't be the job of officers.
"That needs to be a job of DHHS," he told AAP.
"Clearly you've got hundreds of meals here that aren't able to be delivered to people that obviously need them.
"I can understand the community's frustration."
This anger over the short notice given to residents about the tower lockdown, and the feeling of a lack of communication from government, has prompted many to join the front line of help.
Mohamed Tooyo said he is sad all he could do is try to leave food at people's doorsteps, rather than see friends and relatives.
"The government said they would help and give people the necessities they needed, but they didn't deliver on that promise," he said.
"Community has come together today from different backgrounds. I feel proud, I feel happy about it."
Victorian Council of Social Services CEO Emma King said there had been a groundswell of support from the Victorian community
"These people in housing estates are taking a huge hit for all of us," she said.
"I think we as a Victorian community should be very grateful and appreciative to them, and I think people are wanting to help."
Australian Associated Press
