Community Recovery Ready Reserves ready to get Queenslanders back on their feet

“Don’t be scared to ask for help. There’s help there, you just need to let people know you need it.”

Sandra moved to the Glenwood area north of Gympie the day before Ex-Tropical Cyclone Seth came through. When the cyclone hit, a branch fell on the roof of her caravan. She was further impacted by the ongoing rain and the February flooding event.

The Community Recovery team was able to help Sandra with access to immediate financial support to buy necessities and put her in touch with other support services.

“Being able to visit a Community Recovery Hub makes it easier for people to reach out and get the help they need,” Sandra said.

Following the events, Community Recovery Ready Reserves – public volunteers to assist with disaster recovery – continued to visit Sandra to provide support.

It was during these outreach visits that the team realised Sandra’s van had significantly deteriorated since the original damage assessment. The caravan was not watertight, and the flooring was so badly damaged there was a risk to Sandra’s physical wellbeing.

Outreach workers arranged for the damage to Sandra’s caravan to be re-assessed and it was decided the van should be replaced.

With the financial support from a Structural Assistance Grant, Sandra purchased a replacement caravan to call home.

Structural Assistance Grants of up to $50,000 are available to eligible owner-occupiers to help repair their home to a safe, secure and habitable state following a disaster.

The Community Recovery team also connected Sandra with Lifeline and Red Cross so she could receive emotional support and replace other damaged items.

Sandra felt a real boost when her replacement caravan arrived.

“It was absolutely amazing,” she said.