Flood Disaster Report March until July 2022
In the beginning on 2022 extensive rainfall fell in South East Queensland and far north New South Wales.
The flooding was extensive and impacted on many communities, especially smaller communities with little community support due to the volume of damage that had occurred. The SES which supports community, were impacted, everyone needed help. The city of Lismore is one major city in norther NSW still desperately in need of help.
SI Beenleigh over numerous years has created Target 10 Library Bags to support the local schools but have shipped to communities all over Australia impacted by fire, flooding, cyclones and even shipped to Vanuatu.
The Target 10 are packed in January/February each year with a guide of 100 to 200, the money is from RECYCLING CANS and do RAFFLE NIGHTS at Club Beenleigh. This year at our International Women's Day Breakfast we ran raffle specifically for flood affected Tweed Valley.
Our first shipment was done in conjunction with Hit Café in the Precedent (now called Hit Café Beenleigh)
Our Club it is better to work with contacts in an area we know or have a previous working relationship with. The café is owned by a family that came from Coraki (small rural diary area) completely impacted with no access to food or supplies and the diary herds had been scattered everywhere trying to avoid the flood. A truck was organised byt eh owners and the people who use the café donated supplies. (primary dry supplies as no refrigeration or power- but BBQ) SI Beenleigh did Infection/covid packs for those doing the cleaning. In snap lock plastic bags- soap, tissues, masks, disposable gloves, disinfection solutions, notebook and pens(record necessary details), emery board (time for peace and just sit for a few minutes),small toothpaste, brush and person care packs. Large packets of mentos etc for the people and those tidying up would have something to chew on and keep there sugar levels. Bottles of water etc. Other items donated by the local community was soup, noodles, coffee, tea, long life milk, disposable coffee cups, spaghetti, breakfast cereal etc. Three truck loads went in the first ten days. Families to families and given to those that needed it the most.
The Logan Council reached out to us as areas of Eagleby/Beenleigh and Logan went under Flood. The Federal government set up an emergency hub at the local PCYC and reached out for care packs/pamper packs so the people could shower and get their clothes washed. The service groups of Beenleigh- Lions, Rotary, Quota and Soroptimist all provided items. Lions and Rotary- BBQ and food, Quota- support people and linkage, and Soroptimist care packs. (generally have some in stock for emergencies- normally fires)
The following week we started shipping into the Goodna area. Thank you to a local church who had a counselling team on the ground and one of the pastors’ wife, was a former honoury member we were able to ship approximately 75 target packs immediately.
These packs were distributed via numerous domestic violence organisations eg Helen’s Haven and other community groups. Majority were to single families. Liz a previous member of SI Beenleigh and a great sewer contacted and offered to help with her sewing skills.
Blanket Project and Linen
Liz was able to collect or purchase from numerous op shops good quality blankets and modified them to be like a sleeping bag to be utilised in the community shelters for those with no belongings or bedding and were able to take when they returned back to their homes. The people were also supplied with bed linen.
A local Lincraft Store was closing down, and Liz was able to buy all new pillows at a very good cost and these were provided with linen, and these were shipped to Lismore with any blankets remaining.
Next school was within our community, Eagleby South State School. The school was provided with about 125 Target 10 which were grade specific, grades 1 & 2, 3 & 4, 5/6 & 7.
There were some bags donated in the name of our guest speaker we had at a dinner meeting who plays professional AFL for the women’s league and is connected to the school.
A decision to give items of use to those that need at the moment rather than a bottle of wine or chocolates, to our speakers at dinner meetings.
At this stage we applied for the emergency fund from SISWP as a club.
SI Freemantle and SI Canning District in Western Australia have donated to the club and there have been numerous personal donations from fellow Soroptimist and local families.
Approximately 400 more Target 10 bags have been packed with all distributed except approximately 40 held in case of emergency or another request come in.
Distribution was a team effort. SI Gold Coast had an additional link into the Tweed area, Dorothy utilised her links and we used ours.
First delivery was done by Christine Johnstone, Dorothy Elliott and President of SI Beenleigh to Condong School. The devastation observed on the road there and the damage to the school and we visited them at their temporary school. Beside the Target 10 Bags a deliver was made of sets of reading books from SI Bayside, this generosity of SI Bayside was repeated at many more schools in the Tweed Valley and there are still a few boxes to deliver as schools get resettled.
Target 10 have been delivered to Tumbulgum, Middle Arm and Crabbes Creek. Dorothy has done the delivery on behalf of SI Beenleigh due to having a four-wheel drive and we have assisted with fuel expenses.
A School at Chelmer that specialises in CALD clients from refugee families were supplied with a modified Target 10 to meet their needs.
The distribution of Target 10 and books will continue as the year progresses as we are very we have had two very successful raffle nights in May and June, plus we are getting into our RRR.
A financial breakdown is attached.
Apology for the late submission of this report, time has flown, and we have not stopped. Two weeks ago we were assisting families living in cars (total of 30 including children) at Eagleby that have relocated from Lismore hoping to get housing in Beenleigh. There is none. No housing available for the working, homeless or those impacted by floods that lost everything or their houses are unfit to live in.
Thank you to the members of SI Beenleigh, SI Bayside, SI Gold Coast and SI Logan- wew work well as a team. Everyone has their strengths, just need to find them, and thanks to SI Beenleigh’s great Treasurer.
Vicki Bailey
SI Beenleigh President
NB: Target 10 is a library bag, containing a pencil case, colour pencils, HB pencils, eraser, ruler, sharpener, glue stick, scissors, 2 blue or black pens, red pen, depending on the size and buying power 3 to 4 exercise books, folder, sometimes tissues, stickers and little gifts that were donated to us.
