Northern Rivers residents might have noticed a proliferation of orange T-shirts in the area recently. They’re likely to be volunteers from Samaritan’s Purse, a Christian humanitarian relief organisation, who are in town for four weeks teaming up with Resilient Lismore to conduct repair works on homes in the area.
They first visited and donated their time and efforts last year and their Disaster Response Manager, Dan Stephens, said they saw the need was ongoing and decided to come back.
“We just want to come in after disasters and just lend a hand to folks that are trying to recover and get back on their feet again,” he said.
“Our team was here helping out directly after the big floods last year. And we heard word that the recovery was still ongoing and going well, but people could use an extra hand of support.
“We brought in a volunteer team with some tradies and other builders. Just to help people repair, help their homes and help them get back in. We’ve got an electrician, a plumber, several carpenters, several builders.”
A team of about 20 volunteers from different places in New South Wales, Queensland and Victoria are going out with Resilient Lismore teams to homes in the area, doing what they can to help our community get, back into safe, secure and warm accommodation.
“We’re just happy to be back and just want to be able to lend a hand wherever we can,” Dan said.
“This is such a strong, resilient community after all that you’ve been through and we’re just happy to have the opportunity to come along beside you and hopefully just lift a hand, just help you as you’re getting back on your feet.”
“Our teams have been going out pretty much daily and just helping with various tasks related to trying to get people back into their homes. There’s a whole spectrum of where people are at the moment.”
The teams of mostly retired tradespeople and other volunteers have been undertaking a variety of jobs, from cleaning mud off walls, to installing flat-pack kitchens, yard work, plumbing and electrical work, as well as painting and other finishing touches for people who have already completed their own repairs.
“Those guys are really working closely with Resilient Lismore’s ‘Two Rooms’ guys, using their trade wherever it’s needed,” Dan said.
“We’ve probably worked on 30 different properties. And the response has been very positive, extremely positive. Our people have just really been overwhelmed with the gratitude.
“Usually after spending two or three days at a place they’ve moved from not having a kitchen – that being a completely empty space – to having a full kitchen with cabinets and drawers and the walls painted.
“What we hear a lot of is, ‘Oh, this would’ve taken me a month to do myself, and you guys were able to knock it out in a day’, and that’s what we want to do. It’s that power in numbers and it’s the power of community.
“Our guys are loving it. We’re used to working in the immediate post-disaster zone where it’s a lot of muck outs and cleanups and strip outs of walls and stuff. But our guys are mostly tradies, they’re mostly guys that have retired: contractors and tradies.
“And what I’m hearing from my guys is that this is one of the first times in doing the disaster relief work that they’ve been able to take their skills that they’ve developed throughout their life, their professional skills, and apply them to the context of like helping people. They’re putting stuff back in as opposed to ripping it out.
“And it has been so encouraging to them. I feel like this is like a really new and exciting thing for them, to be able to use a skill that they’ve developed throughout their entire life and now they can give them away to help people in need and they’re loving it.”
Jonathan Smith, Field Coordinator, Resilient Lismore, has worked closely with the group and expressed our gratitude for their efforts.
“We’re so grateful to the Samaritan’s Purse team. They jumped in to help in the early days of our recovery journey last year, and to have them come back to help our community continue that journey is wonderful, and hugely appreciated,” he said.
“The recovery journey for the Northern Rivers is a long and difficult one, but it is heartening to know there are groups out there like Samaritan’s Purse who are still thinking of us and donating their time and skills to help. It means a lot, and it is making a tangible impact on people’s lives.
“If there are any other groups out there thinking of doing something similar, you will be most welcome!”
