S22LOYMVSMS

When extreme becomes the new norm, we know where to start

 

Our climate is changing. Disasters are becoming more frequent and intense. That’s why it’s so important we are ready. Because it is our job to be there for those hardest hit, so no one has to face a disaster alone.

Every day Red Cross supports people affected by disasters and emergencies. Right now, our Recovery Officers are at work in bushfire and flood-impacted communities across the country. And our Emergency Services teams are recruiting and training for future disasters.

Our teams and volunteers help tens of thousands of people each year through some of the worst days of their lives. Your support makes this possible.

  • $250 can provide specialised training for a Red Cross team to work in an evacuation centre when an emergency strikes
  • $500 can help fund our service to reconnect families separated during a disaster
  • $1,400 can train a Red Cross volunteer to provide one-to-one support for people who have experienced trauma
  • $2,500 can get a Red Cross disaster response and outreach team equipped and on the road
Photo: Australian Red Cross/Aysha Leo 

When Polly went to bed on a Sunday, she couldn’t have known less than 24 hours later she would be sobbing in a stranger’s arms.

But as she awoke in the dark, she knew it was time to move. From her kitchen, she could see her backyard starting to flood.

She quickly packed her dog Pea, and a few valuables and got in her car to go. But behind her, the Lismore levee broke and pushed the car forward and amongst the floodwaters. There was nothing to do but cling on for her life. She waited for hours in the freezing water, being battered by floating debris, before she was rescued by an SES crew and taken to an evacuation centre where she collapsed emotionally into the arms of a Red Cross volunteer.

“There was a lady that gave me clothes when I jumped out of the shower...and she said to me ‘You'll be alright now’. And I just broke down in tears. I said ‘I lost my dog. I feel like it was my fault that I put her in the car’. I just howled and she just grabbed me and gave me the biggest cuddle, which is what I needed.”

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