Helping those affected by the floods

From February to April 2022, catastrophic floods devastated Northern NSW and Queensland. Water levels were above and beyond what anyone could have anticipated. The flood waters rose quickly and lingered for weeks. When one deluge subsided, another severe rain trough hit causing flooding for the second time in as many weeks.

In some areas local residents were evacuated from their roofs via helicopter (Flyover of Woodburn) and after having to stay in emergency accommodation for days, and sometimes weeks, on end without even a change of clothing, they returned to their properties to witness all their possessions decimated. All your worldly possessions. Everything. Gone. Imagine that…

Now, the initial clean-up is complete and it’s time for residents to start rebuilding. With insurance almost impossible for many and the Government bickering about who’s responsible for what, it’s up to the generosity of volunteers to support the community in their rebuilding efforts.

On the left is the Richmond River through Woodburn. The right image shows the 2022 flood impact.

Flood Relief Recovery?

In June I joined my good friend, David Rugendyke, the owner of Convoy Commune, a café in Merewether, Newcastle to visit The Woodburn Recovery Hub. David has arranged a few trips to Woodburn to assist with the Flood Relief and we managed to hand deliver all the items donated to our Form1 Flood Relief Appeal.?

Dedicated community recovery centres like Woodburn provide face-to-face support for NSW residents affected by natural disasters.

Woodburn assists the local Richmond Valley communities in flood recovery and the hub is a place where locals can grab a coffee, have a chat, collect urgent supplies like groceries, cleaning products, pet food, and register ‘jobs’ they require support with on their properties. These jobs include carpentry, plumbing, electrical, pressure washing (my personal favourite), cooking, cleaning or even requests for a bit of muscle to support moving heavier items.??

With volunteer numbers on the decline, it’s time to show our support and get involved in a meaningful way. As we often say, many hands make light work…

• Follow Woodburn Donation Hub on Instagram for the latest information and register to volunteer
• Don’t have insta? That’s cool – here’s the link for you
• Grab a friend of two and make a road trip out of it

The greatest thing about volunteering is that you are continuously reminded of how much good exists in the world.

Thank you to everyone who generously donated to the Form1 Flood Relief campaign. The goods received went straight to the local communities who were very appreciative.

To learn more about Form1 initiatives and our charity partners, check out the Form1 Community website.?