People are affected by disasters in many ways. Some may have lost family members or friends; some may have lost their homes; others may have suffered the fear of such loss.

Red Cross Personal Support volunteers provide information, care and comfort to people affected by disaster and refer them to other agencies who can assist.  Personal Support is based in evacuation or recovery centres. 

Personal Support also varies: meeting people as they arrive at an evacuation centre and finding out their needs, registering them on behalf of the NSW Police, providing a listening ear (lots of this!), finding out who else can help, undertaking practical tasks at the Centre, or participating in community doorknocks or meetings.

Personal Support volunteers are caring and practical people. They are also good team players and are able to work a full shift in a major emergency.

Recent Personal Support activations have included:

Assisting other States: Cyclone Larry, Queensland 2006
Central Coast and Junee Bush Fires: New Years Day 2006
North Coast Floods 2005
Sydney Bushfires: December 2002
NSW Bushfires: Christmas 2001 - January 2002
Operation Safe Haven (Kosovar & East Timorese refugees): 1999
North/North-Western NSW Floods: 2000/2001
Glenbrook Rail Crash: December 1999
Personal Support  -  Training

Would you like to join your local Red Cross Personal Support Team?

The basic training for Personal Support in and around Sydney is: A two-hour Volunteer Information Session (this comes first) , then a one-day Personal Support Training Course.

The first step for potential Sydney volunteers is to attend a Red Cross Volunteer Information session.  For dates and times email nswvolunteers@redcross.org.au. After attending this session, volunteers will be invited to attend the next  Personal Support Course; these are run regularly.

Outside Sydney, or for further information, please email Red Cross Emergency Services on nswemergency@redcross.org.au or call on 02 9229 4258.