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The Salvation Army is one of those organisations that is always there in times of need and is also one of our Workplace Giving partners. In just under three weeks following the Black Saturday bushfires in Victoria, the Salvation Army served almost 30,000 meals to those who had tirelessly fought the fires across the state. They also assisted nearly 10,000 people with more than $4 million in immediate financial assistance, clothing and other items, emotional support and a listening ear. The Salvos will be a major part of the devastated communities for many months to come by providing immediate financial support, giving essential goods and offering much needed emotional support.

SKILLED Group is a great supporter of the Salvos and we recently donated $50,000 to their bushfire relief appeal. On top of this, SKILLED Group staff have donated more than $10,000 to bushfire-ravaged communities in Victoria either through fundraising activities like casual clothes days, morning teas, raffles or via our Workplace Giving Program. There have also been numerous boxes of new clothes and toys provided to the appeal and many staff have demonstrated extraordinary courage and community spirit by giving up their time to work on the frontline of the emergency response.

One such staff member is Erin Bates from the Box Hill office. Erin has volunteered with the Salvation Army Emergency Services for 10 years and was called to Whittlesea at around 3:30pm on Black Saturday to provide catering to the emergency services personnel. When Erin began working alongside approximately 100 other volunteers that day she had no idea of the full gravity of the situation at that point.

“That night was a night not like any other and one we will never forget. Many people have said to me that they wish they could do something to help. Well I was there helping and still felt useless. The horror of what those people went through is truly unimaginable,” said Erin, recalling the night of Black Saturday.

On that first night, Erin and her fellow Salvation Army volunteers served 970 meals for dinner and another 330 meals overnight. From the first dinner service on Black Saturday (February 7) to breakfast on Tuesday February 17, they served approximately 26,000 meals, operating from both the Whittlesea staging ground and St Andrews market grounds from their two mobile catering trucks. They also put together ‘grab packs’ that were taken on the fire trucks to keep the crews going.

Other staff who volunteered their time to the emergency services during the fires are also to be commended.

Greg Scott, who is coordinating SKILLED Group’s response to the bushfires in Victoria, has been in contact with the Victorian Government, Volunteers Australia, Salvation Army and the Red Cross to let them know that we are available to mobilise and coordinate volunteers to assist in the coming weeks and months.

The Salvation Army asked if SKILLED could assist in the refurbishment of a recently disused boys’ home which was reopened to provide shelter for bushfire victims.

Greg quickly mobilised a team including staff and employees for the purchase and installation of a washing machine, a stove and rangehood in the facility. The team built a fence for a playground, installed gates to control vehicular traffic and made general repairs including fixing ladders and repairing doors.

A representative from the Salvos was amazed at what the SKILLED team achieved. Three families displaced from Marysville were soon to arrive at the facility which, thanks to the great work by Greg and the team, will be more comfortable and functional.

Date: March 2009