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Twenty years of CFA service recognised

Announcement posted by The Audacious Agency 14 Jul 2014

Over the past 20 years, the Country Fire Association has given Gembrook’s Leonie Woodham good mates and a sense of community, and she has given them 20 years of service.

Her two decades of service was acknowledge last month at an awards ceremony honouring the CFA’s valuable volunteers.

Leonie said she joined the service at a time when they needed people for daytime callouts. “A neighbour of mine in the brigade mentioned to me they needed daytime crew,” she said.

“Most people in Gembrook worked in the city. He thought a stay at home mum would be a good addition.

“When I’d get an emergency callout, I’d drop the children at my neighbours.”

Over the years, Leonie has served the community in many roles: playgroup, kinder and netball club, a brownie leader, footy club, tourism committee, and the market committee.

While she no longer serves on all these committees, she will continue to be part of the CFA for the long term.

“The CFA is my link to the community. It has given me so many opportunities because it is an organisation that gives back to its volunteers,” Leonie said.

“When I joined the CFA, I found a bunch of blokes who could teach me stuff I didn't already know. Over the years, I’ve been to a number of big fires with these blokes; when you work closely with others in dangerous situations, you learn to trust your team.”

For Leonie, like many other volunteers, the award for her 20 years of service is not something she wants to make a big fuss about.

“It is recognition, like many other people, I was there, I helped and they are grateful for my contribution,” Leonie said.

“In 40 years when I am gone, my grandchildren will come across it and realise I wasn't always old and frail; that maybe once I was useful.”

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