Cost of Living Relief: Aussies Line Up for Hours
Aussies woke up bright and early today to snag a slice of billionaire Adrian Portelli’s generous $150,000 giveaway. The lucky recipients told 9news.com.au they plan to use the cash to alleviate the financial pressures that come with everyday living.
The Queue of Dreams
At the Coles in Fairfield West, over 1,000 people queued up, hoping to get their hands on $100 and $200 Coles vouchers. Some hopefuls were turned away due to capacity issues, but those who made it in were ecstatic.
“It’s the craziest day I’ve worked in 25 years,” said one Coles worker.
Meliama Kaafi was one of the first in line at 6 am and plans to use her voucher on her seven kids. “This will be good for them this Christmas,” she said.
Groceries, Essentials, and a Little Bit of Joy
Every voucher holder 9news.com.au spoke to had the same plan: use the money on essentials. “Groceries, meat, vegetables, essentials,” said Terry Piggott.
Kathryn Elia is relieved to have the extra cash ahead of the school holidays. “Food, more essentials, groceries, cleaning – $200 is going to do a lot for us.”
For Nicole Futcher, the voucher couldn’t have come at a better time. “It means a lot – my account was $44 in debit this morning.”
A Billionaire’s Kindness
As Portelli made his way around the queue, which stretched around the building, the crowds cheered “thank you” and clapped for the billionaire. “Really great, it’s unreal. They should get more billionaires in here to help,” said Piggott.
“I’m so lucky,” added Abreu. “We all appreciate it coming up to Christmas,” said Elia.
But not everyone were happy. Some shoppers expressed their disappointment after lining up for hours, only to miss on the opportunity to get some free groceries.
Portelli’s Pleasure
Portelli said it’s his “absolute pleasure to be able to help out.” “It’s just the assistance these people need – Christmas is fast approaching, cost of living is through the roof, so those $200 and $100 will go a long way.”
The billionaire has already offered similar giveaways in Victoria, South Australia, and Tasmania, and plans to head to Queensland, the Northern Territory, and Western Australia next.
“I’m happy to keep doing this annually, definitely,” he said.