Bushfire Update – Marysville Re-Opened
Samaritan’s Purse has worked in disaster relief areas all around the world and recently used that experience to meet the needs of communities in Victoria that were devastated by the bushfires .
While we were at work in the relief centres providing trauma and grief counselling, a practical need of families and farmers became apparent. When the time came for each of these families to finally be allowed back to their destroyed and damaged homes, they had no tools to work with.
“I survived the fire with my two daughters but lost everything else. The tools Samaritan’s Purse provided helped me sift through the remains of our home and re-establish my vegetable garden. You’ve encouraged me and helped me focus on the future”. – Toni-Anne, victim of bushfire at St. Andrews
The immediate needs of food and clothes were well in hand so Samaritans Purse, enabled by donations received for the Bushfire Appeal of more than $72,000 set to work to provide Emergency Recovery Kits of tools and equipment.
Our expansive network of churches, schools and community groups attached to the Operation Christmas Child program were fundamental to distributing the kits in their communities. This is a model we strongly believe in as it is cost effective and it empowers local churches to care for their neighbours.
Two hundred kits comprising new items like safety equipment, pliers, wrecking-bars, hammers, shovels, screwdrivers and even brooms, were included in each kit. A further 50 kits were put together due to extra donations and these included items such as sledge hammers and generators.
“As a church seeking to reach out with Christ-motivated practical assistance we have greatly valued our partnership with Samaritan’s Purse whose involvement has extended to the provision of Emergency Recovery Kits… for donation to those who have lost everything”. –Pastor Steve Messer, Community Church at Warragul
The town of Marysville has only just been re-opened, allowing people to return to their properties and assess their damage. Another 100 Emergency Recovery Kits will be needed in Marysville to help the residents recover and rebuild.
If you would like to give a gift for the residence of Marysville please click here.
Again, these kits will be distributed through the local church, connecting the shaken people of Marysville with their Christian neighbours.
Thank you for helping provide 330 Emergency Recovery Kits to victims of the Victoria bushfires. And please continue to pray as they work to rebuild their lives in the coming months.
April 5th, 2009 at 2:20 pm
It’s good to see your work happening close to home with the bushfire relief work. It has concerned me that much of the focus has been on the Marysville area, deservedly so, but unfortunately to the detriment of other areas. Media focus (or lack thereof) has caused some devastated areas to be overlooked, particularly the Labertouche area affected by the Bunyip Ridge fire. This is a farming community & has virtually been wiped out by the Feb. 7th fires. Through careful per-planning, no lives were lost & many buildings were saved, but much devastation has occurred, with little assistance coming from government & other agencies. There, folk have lost their ability to generate income, as well as suffering great material loss. Politicians have focused on other regions where the media are focusing their attention. One lady I know, who lost her whole property, has said that the only help she has received has been a small grant from the Gippsland Emergency Relief Fund, and some assistance from the Seventh Day Adventist church. Many were slow to apply for help due to the time of trauma that followed the fires, only to now be refused.
I believe it would be a wonderful witness of Christ’s love for a group such as yours to come in to an area like Labertouche & offer some practical & material assistance.