Disadvantage is a pox on the face of a wealthy, beautiful and prosperous city like Canberra, but its residents are always eager to help those in need, the new Canberra Citizen of the Year says.
Mohammed Ali, a renowned backbone of community service in the territory, was named the 2022 citizen of the year by Chief Minister Andrew Barr at a ceremony at the Albert Hall on Tuesday.
The award recognises citizens who have made a major contribution to the community.
"I'm just over the moon, honestly speaking. I'm in complete disbelief. I think that I didn't deserve it, because there have been so many people who have been working in this area of helping vulnerable people," Mr Ali said.
Mr Ali said he hoped the award would bring more attention to the work of HelpingACT, which he founded in 2018 to help provide food security to those who need it. The organisation provides help to refugees, international students and homeless individuals.
"A place like Canberra - there must not be even a single person who's forced to stay outside in the rough," he said.
Mr Ali was also recognised for his work on the ACT Multicultural Advisory Board, with the ACT Refugee Asylum Seeker and Humanitarian Coordination Committee, and Companion House.
Mr Ali moved to Canberra in 1991 from Karachi, Pakistan, where he was a university lecturer in biochemistry. He came with his wife Nasim and their two sons, while a third son was born in 1995. Mr Ali, who worked at the Therapeutic Goods Administration, said he has loved the city ever since.
During the COVID-19 lockdown in 2021, HelpingACT was active throughout Canberra in support of local families who were struggling to purchase food and other items, or were in isolation.
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HelpingACT support the work of other local community organisations, including Havelock House, the Early Morning Centre, Woden Community Service and a number of local street pantries.
The citizen of the year award was last year given to all Canberrans who had worked on the territory's public health response to the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2020, all members of the ACT Emergency Services Agency and ACT Parks and Conservation Service were honoured due to their response to the 2019-2020 bushfires.
Mr Barr also awarded the Chief Minister's Canberra Gold Awards, which recognises those who have lived in Canberra for more than 50 years, on Tuesday.
Recipients included Peter Barclay, the owner of King O'Malley's Irish Pub in the city centre; Russell and Jeanette Brown, who have both had a long involvement in the Canberra Repertory Society; and Tom Ballard, who founded Tom's Trash Paks after a career as a government printer.
