ANGLICARE Volunteers awarded for disaster recovery efforts
Twenty two ANGLICARE Disaster Recovery volunteers have been honoured with a State Medal this month for their service during the Hunter and Central Coast storms last year.
The wild weather that ground the Pasha Bulker had upturned countless homes along the Central Coast and was predicted to move down to Sydney. ANGLICARE Disaster Recovery volunteers from parishes around the Sydney Diocese were called on to assist the SES and other agencies.
A team of eighteen volunteers staffed the phones in Sydney and four assisted disaster recovery work that was taking place in Newcastle. Local SES volunteers responded to more than 2020 calls for help from the community during the week of the storms.
59 year old mother of two, Beth King from St Paul’s Anglican Church Carlingford was one of the four who went up to Newcastle to assist. The storms had passed and according to Beth many were in the process of recovery.
“We went out on the field with DoCS and Red Cross and door knocked in an area that had been affected by the floods. We provided information and food parcels to those who might need them,” Beth explains.
“We came across one mother who was caring for her intellectually disabled daughter in her 40s. Someone had come into her home during the evacuation, helped themselves to a sandwich and took all their family jewellery. We were able help her with food parcels and when we gave a teddy to her daughter the smile we received was just wonderful.”
Beth says she learned a lot about people during her day in the field.
“Many couldn’t believe they were getting things for nothing when we knocked and many couldn’t believe that someone else cared. It was two weeks after the storm had passed and a lot of people thought they were forgotten.
“It helped me realise how lonely and vulnerable people can be after a disaster. While the rest of the world may forget the storms after a week, the recovery from the devastation is on going.”
David Austin and his wife Joy was part of a team in Sydney that staffed the SES hotline at Goulburn St police station throughout the night. Heavy weather was forecasted to hit the city and a warning had been sent out through the media.
“We were briefed on what was happening with the heavy weather that was set to come in from the coast and manned the phones at the police centre to give information to those who rang the hotline,” explains David.
“We were kept up to date with Bureau of Meteorology reports and were able to provide information to people and alleviate a lot of their concerns.”
To Doug Philpott Manager of ANGLICARE’s Disaster Recovery program, volunteers like the Austins and Beth are crucial.
“All our disaster recovery “workers” are volunteers and they bring a vast array of skills, capabilities and commitment to the task.
“Our role in disaster recovery is all about looking after people who have been affected by a disaster and helping them to restore their lives to some form of normality. By clearly showing the love of Jesus in all we do we address their immediate needs and help build an understanding of Christian commitment to the community.”
To anyone wishing to volunteer David says it is well worthwhile. “You certainly get a kick out of what you can do to help. You are not called out all the time and can refuse if you can’t make it… Being a Christian I know where I’m going, but we were commanded to do good things during our time here as well. I believe God gives us a purpose and saves us for a purpose.”
