Pam spoke on the role that ‘Healing the Hurt – EMDR’ is to play through D9800’s Disaster Relief Committee; Reg told us about the phone call donating up to 500,000 P2 Respirator Facemasks which were in the process of arriving from California via Qantas and how he sprang into action; Bob told us of his reaction to Reg’s phone call and how the DIK warehouse was cleared to take the first shipment of 97,000 masks a few days later and how the distribution logistics rolled out in the days that followed; and Bruce told us of the fund raising efforts and on the ground aid and counselling involvement being undertaken in the fire ravaged areas.
Pam – together with Marion, you are working to incorporate the ‘Healing the Hurt – EMDR’ program within D9800’s response planning, please tell more and how this will be implemented over time.
Pam provided background as to how the program was initially developed with assistance from Rotary Melbourne, how it is implemented locally and in other parts of the world and how D9800 can aim to incorporate it into communities through Rotary. Pam also made mention of other initiatives of D9800’s Disaster Relief Committee.
Reg – You received a telephone call that in your words ‘blew you away’ and then you sprang into action – please tell us about it – and how project ‘Respirator Face Mask’ emerged and the magnitude of the shipment.
Reg told of his initial phone call and how he accepted this entrusted role to be the recipient of up to 500,000 P2 Respirator Facemasks and following a deep breath, set the wheels in motion to receive the first shipment arriving from California courtesy of Qantas. Reg instinctively phoned Bob to plan the logistics of accepting the first shipment at DIK within days of 97,000 masks and communication with DG Grant Hocking to start the distribution process through District Governors covering the affected areas and initiate contact other relief agencies to distribute these masks where they were desperately needed. Reg also spoke of widening his contact to include Rotary Sydney for a Qantas shipment to be received and distributed.
Bob – You received a phone call from Reg and also sprang into action – please tell us about DIK’s role in the distribution logistics.
Bob told us of his reaction on receiving the phone call from Reg and how he, Laurie and volunteers readied DIK and received the first shipment and how the logistics of distribution developed both thought out Victoria. He told of the dispatches directly to Rotary Clubs in Gippsland and the Northeast and a delivery to Kangaroo Island in addition to the dispatches to the major relief agencies. Bob also detailed DIK’s despatch of medical supplied and equipment to animal rescue agencies.
Bruce – the cry has gone out for help by your organisation and others – ‘Donate Now to Deliver Humanitarian Aid’, please tell is what the Salvation Army are doing.
A. Bruce told us of the fund-raising efforts and ‘on the ground’ aid and counselling involvement being undertaken in the fire ravaged areas and of the vast number of teams deployed. He spoke personally of his experience at relief centres where he counselled with many who had lost their homes, farms and businesses. He spoke of the need for Salvation Army to partner with service providers in expending donation funds raised to achieve a wider effected community benefit.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Members will not be surprised that Rotary Melbourne has jumped to attention as the tragedy of the bush fires unfolded.
This story, this involvement will be continuing – as Australia comes to grips of being a land of drought, fire and flooding rains.
