Announcement posted by Beyond Bank Australia 05 Aug 2015
2 JULY 2015
A
$50,000 fund established by Beyond Bank to provide urgent assistance to people
in the Hunter who were severely impacted by the major storms that hit the
region in April has been helping families get back on their feet.
A
partnership with St Vincent De Paul Society Maitland/Newcastle Central Council
ensured the funds were distributed to those most affected in each community.
“It
was important to us that our support was targeted,” Beyond Bank General Manager
Distribution, Ray O’Brien explained. “Utilising its 50 conferences spread
across the region, St Vincent De Paul was able to quickly identify who needed
help and provide urgent assistance.”
However,
it wasn’t always easy. “Following the storms, some people had to move out of
their homes and our local staff and volunteers worked hard to find and contact
those families,” St Vincent De Paul Executive Officer, Denise Lucas praised.
“For example, in some instances they needed to utilise school networks to
locate them.”
Support
was provided through gift cards to shops such as Woolworths, Target, Coles and
Big W. “The local knowledge of our conferences meant people were provided with
gift cards for stores near them, to reduce the need to travel, and where they
could purchase goods that would most help them in their individual
circumstances,” Ms Lucas explained.
Through
the partnership between Beyond Bank and St Vincent De Paul the fund has now
been fully distributed and helped hundreds of individuals and families.
One
such family is the Vanvalens of Dungog who escaped their flooded historic home
with only the clothes they stood up in.
Barbara
Vanvalen said while she and her family had experienced other major storms
during their 30 years in the Hunter region, they were taken by surprise at how
quickly the flood waters rose.
“In
half an hour, there was six feet of water in the house. We were monitoring the
nearby creek and it wasn’t rising very much, so we were shocked when the house
started to flood.”
Barbara’s
husband Peter has mobility difficulties and the couple feel lucky to have
survived. “If our son and grandsons hadn’t been staying with us, we couldn’t
have got upstairs to the third floor, which was the only part of the house that
didn’t flood.”
Standing
out on the top verandah, the families cries for help brought an SES boat to the
rescue. Due to the speed of the flooding, the family was able to save very
little. Their losses included Peter’s hearing aids and medical equipment.
Barbara’s wedding ring and her father’s war medals were recovered once the
water receded.
To
date Barbara and Peter have not been back in their home and are not sure what
the future holds for the 135 year old building that was a bakery in a former
life. It was not just the water that did damage, although it did cause the
ceilings to collapse, but what was in it – sewerage and diesel from a nearby
garage.
Barbara
and Peter have been able to find a new home to rent in Dungog and see some
silver lining in this tough time. “The community has been wonderfully
supportive,” Ms Vanvalen said. “There were locals who worked tirelessly raising
money to help through things like a donation shed. I love to sew and a family
member gave me a sewing machine.”
However,
after the shock of the storms wore off, it was the little things the Vanvalens
realised they needed. “I was given a sewing machine and realised I didn’t have
scissors,” Ms Vanvalen said. “At first you are so used to having all these
small things that it takes a while to get used to the fact they are gone. You
reach for them, but they aren’t there.
“The
support from Beyond Bank and St Vincent De Paul let us replace those things we
needed in order to get on with life – cake tins, saucepans, frying pans,
rolling pins and even pyjamas. It was cold after the storms and something as
simple as pyjamas became important because they helped us stay warm.
“I
can’t begin to describe how grateful we are too everyone who helped us,” Ms
Vanvalen said.
“Our
hearts go out to everyone who was impacted in the storms,” Mr O’Brien said.
“All the staff at Beyond Bank are pleased we could help families such as the
Vanvalens in some small way.”