Recently, Anglicare Disaster Recovery volunteers from western NSW were thrilled to gather for in-person training, following many online sessions. Nineteen new and seasoned volunteers from around Cootamundra, Junee, Wagga Wagga and Young gathered at St Lukes parish in Junee to increase their readiness to respond to natural and man-made disasters.
In addition to receiving standard Disaster Recovery training, the group welcomed a presentation by Anna Conyers, Disaster Recovery Team Leader for Wagga Wagga, on the trend towards increased domestic violence following disasters and discussed warning signs and referral processes. The group also learned about Anglicare’s immediate and ongoing response to the 2019 bushfires in Batlow and the Snowy Valleys from Joanne Murrell, Anglicare Bushfire Recovery Coordinator.
A significant advancement in ensuring volunteers can be activated in an organised and immediate way, has been Anglicare’s adoption of a Disaster Recovery app. Magnus Linder, Anglicare Sydney’s Disaster Recovery Manager, attended the Junee workshop to introduce the app and provide practical guidance to new users.
Anglicare has a long tradition of recruiting, training and coordinating volunteers to assist in the face of floods, fire, storms or major accidents. Last year marked 25 years of our Disaster Recovery commitment, and the dedication of our volunteers in that time has been remarkable.
A number of these essential volunteers were recognised for their generous service during a Regional Anglicare Leadership Forum held in Wagga Wagga two days before the workshop in Junee. Notably, we celebrated Gail Commens, Disaster Recovery Team Leader for Junee for her 15 years of service, as well as former and current Disaster Recovery Team Leaders for Wagga Wagga, Leonie White and Anna Conyers for a whopping 20 years each!
Anglicare’s ability to support communities when disasters strike depends on the kindness and compassion of volunteers. To learn more about our Disaster Recovery efforts, or to register to be trained as a Disaster recovery volunteer, visit the Disaster Recovery page of our website.
