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This
week we have featured prominently in the national media with the
tragic bushfires across lower Eyre Peninsula. Therefore we
have decided to add this page to enable our friends and
well-wishers Australia wide to access information. Thank
you to everyone who has already sent their best wishes, offers
of support and delivered practical help. Sheep are already
being transported to agistment from affected areas where
infrastructure such as water and fences have been destroyed.
Hay is flowing in to feed stock left without pasture and the
humane disposal and removal of injured stock is being
supported by helpers from other areas. Clothing and
household goods are being delivered to the region from far and
wide.
This morning (Thursday 13th January) the town
and community were coming to grips with their shock and starting
to look around and see what needs to be done next to support one
another through this time. We appreciate the visit from
the Channel 7 Sunrise team, who made the effort to travel to
Cummins and find out how a community copes with this type of
disaster.
Cummins
is 'Back on Track'.
Plans for Cummins Under
Canvas and Wildeloo - February 18th & 19th - are
continuing, however
these exciting
musical events will now benefit a community which has
suffered. All who attend Cummins
Under Canvas or Wildeloo will both support and encourage those
who have been affected.
Sunday Morning -
16th January 2005
The Bushfire danger seems to be
over at the moment and the volunteers have changed over from
sandwich making to sorting and categorizing the enormous amount
of goods which are rolling into the Cummins Institute from
around the nation. The generosity of our fellow
Australians is staggering when you are on the receiving end.
This has enabled several of the affected families to resume
family life together very quickly in other houses fully equipped
by this generosity, giving them time to plan their future and
rebuild their homes and lives.
Last night a Community
Prayer Service was held in the Lutheran Church Hall and was
attended by over 200 people, who gained comfort and
encouragement from fellowship and the words of guest speakers
Bishop Eugene Hurley and Councillor Brian Treloar.
Now that the injured and
dead stock have been dealt with, truck loads of hay have been
rolling through town to allow surviving stock to be retained and
red where water and fencing are available. Truck loads of
stock leaving for agistment elsewhere are also a common sight.
Later there will be the enormous task of rebuilding and
replacing damaged infrastructure such as fencing (hundreds of
kilometres), telephone services, water and electricity.
The 'drop in centre' at the Uniting Church Hall in the main
street is providing light meals and refreshments to volunteers,
truckies and those in need.
Local businesses and
organizations are planning co-ordinating and delivering aid and
assistance wherever needed and the government sponsored agencies
which are providing help, advice and counselling are installed
at the Cummins Bowling Club until Tuesday to facilitate access
to these services for those affected in the Cummins District.
Friday Morning -
January 21st
The spirit of the Cummins &
District Communities continues to grow stronger as individuals
become involved in some aspect of providing help and support to
friends, neighbours and family, becoming part of a cohesive
whole, a veritable army of volunteers and supporters.
The group providing food
for not only those affected directly by the fire but also the
volunteers who have come to the district to help with cleaning
of fence lines and other farm clean up, is now based at the
Cummins Uniting Church Hall. From there we supply
breakfasts, lunches and 'smoko's' and an evening meal is
necessary, we've gone a long way beyond sandwiches.
Every day our role expands
and changes, we are willing to do whatever is needed to keep the
men fed and the women free of the usual women's role of
providing food so that they can attend to the other more urgent
and personal of family needs. As we say, we can keep on
tap-dancing as long as we're needed, backwards, if necessary,
and all without falling into the sink!
The incredible generosity
of our fellow Australians has kept the rather large Cummins
Institute packed to the rafters with an overflow of clothing and
larger items to other halls. The immediate needs of most
fire victims for clothing and household items has now been
filled, but there is still a need for cash donations to purchase
the items which are in short supply.
Thank you everybody for
your thoughts and support. We look forward to meeting some
of you at Cummins Under Canvas and/or Wildeloo,
which has now become a local focus for fundraising.
March
CUMMINS &
DISTRICT BUSHFIRE RECOVERY CENTRE - HELP WANTED
The Cummins Institute has been set up as a distribution centre
for clothing, household goods and non-perishable food for
bushfire victims. There is a wide range of donated items (many
new) for those affected to choose from and caring volunteers are
available for assistance. A white or green identification card
is needed. The institute is open from 9.30am to 5.00pm Monday
to Friday and 9.30am to 12.30pm Saturday and we are happy to
open after hours by appointment if that is more suitable.
A Public Sale will be held on April 9th and 10th
in the Cummins Institute to clear the remaining goods with all
the proceeds going to the Bushfire Relief Fund.
To prepare for the sale and the removal of remaining goods to
new premises, extra volunteers are desperately needed over the
next few weeks. If you can offer your time to help sort donated
items for a few hours, morning or afternoon, or even a whole
day, your help would be greatly appreciated. For further
information, call in at the Institute, phone on 8676 2793 or
after hours, contact Jane Smith on 0427 765 053
Contact details for
various support groups and organisations are listed below.
COMMUNITY ASSISTANCE
PHONE NUMBERS
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