Chris Mansour knows what it means to depend on the kindness of strangers.
He arrived in Australia in 2006 after fleeing the war in Lebanon, forced to leave his home at a moment’s notice.
“We left absolutely nothing, with not even a wallet, not even 10 bucks in our wallet. We had nothing,” he told SBS Arabic.
Mansour said his experience 20 years ago still motivates him.
During catastrophic bushfires that displaced communities across Victoria earlier in January, the Melbourne baker opened the doors of his business to evacuees and SES volunteers seeking food and shelter.
For Mansour, his actions weren’t driven by charity; they were acts of reciprocation.
“I’m indebted to Australia because back in 2006 I was in the same position as the people that are evacuating the fires now,” the owner of OneWay Lebanese Bakery said.
“I understand the experience of having nothing. I know the feeling when you’re forced to leave everything behind,” he reflected.
This month, as devastating fires ravaged over 400,000 hectares in Victoria, obliterating numerous buildings and claiming the life of a cattle farmer, those memories influenced how he chose to respond.
When Australian authorities evacuated Mansour and his family from Lebanon, he said they were afforded refuge and care.
“They gave us shelter. They gave us food. They gave us drinks. They gave us everything we needed at the time,” he said.
“I’ll never forget that feeling of comfort knowing someone out there actually cares.”
As the fierce winds fanned the flames, Mansour took to social media with a straightforward offer: food and refuge at his bakery for anyone in need.
At their peak around the 9th and 10th of January, several major blazes burned simultaneously, with more than 100 separate fire-affected areas recorded. Some fires, including the Longwood and Walwa blazes, exceeded 100,000 hectares.
“We were exceeding, in some parts of the state, the threshold that we saw on Black Saturday,” Country Fire Authority chief officer Jason Heffernan told Guardian Australia on Thursday, referring to the devastating 2009 bushfires in Victoria that resulted in 173 deaths.
“Knowing what we were up against, I am surprised that we haven’t seen more devastation in communities.”
“Complimentary meals. Free beverages. Phone charging facilities. A cool place to ride out the storm,” read his post.
“To anyone affected by the fires across Melbourne: Oneway Lebanese Bakery is open as a safe shelter for up to 50 people,” he wrote to Facebook on 9 January.
“Free food. Free drinks. Phone charging. A cool space to wait it out.”
‘Someone out there cares’
The response, he said, was immediate and intense.
“It was extremely overwhelming. I didn’t expect any of this to happen,” he said, recalling over 2.2 million views, emails, calls, messages and Google reviews.
“I just put it out there hoping it will reach someone that needs it.”
His phone rang constantly. Messages poured in from across the state, including from people in fire-affected areas who never made it to the bakery but wanted to reach out.
“I think it gave them that feeling that I wanted to pass on to them — even without them coming to the shop they felt that someone out there cares for them.”
Mansour said the initiative also carried a broader message at a time when public debate around migration is often polarised.
“The bad message always travels faster than the good message,” he said.
“You’re not seeing all the good stuff that the migrants are doing.”
His relationship with Australia, he said, is deeply personal.
“Australia is the mother that raised me but didn’t give birth to me,” he said.
“I’m forever grateful for this country. I don’t think anything that I do will be enough to pay back what this beautiful country has given me.”
For those still displaced or facing an uncertain return home, his message is one he once needed himself.
“I know what you’re going through is very hard,” he said.
“All you need to know is things will get better and they always do … there’s people that care about you and everything’s going to be okay.”
— This story was produced in collaboration with SBS Arabic.
