NYAH man Russell Summers has headed for flood-ravaged parts of NSW with relief supplies donated by people in Swan Hill.
Mr Summers, an army veteran, has been involved with Disaster Relief Australia since the 2019 fires, during which he volunteered in Willawarrin, and said his work was a particularly valuable experience.
While Mr Summers balances multiple projects – looking after goats and other animals on his farm, trading shares and managing property aimed at the tourist sector – he said he had never completely settled into another job but his DRA work had helped him feel more established after army life.
“It can be difficult sometimes to resettle into a normal job, even decades after service,” Mr Summers said.
“Often when a person leaves the service to Australia, whether navy, air force or army, they feel they are no longer useful.
“This brought about a true sense of being useful again, with great mateship developed in a short period of time.”
He will head to flood-hit Coraki, just outside Lismore.
“The jobs that need to be done in the surrounding areas include everything from freeing up creeks from debris, to cutting fallen trees, mucking out houses and yard areas, carrying damaged mattresses and furniture,” Mr Summers said.
“It really comes down to the one question. Is it possible for us to do it? If we can, then we do.”
National communications manager for DRA Karyn Lanthois said the organisation was founded in 2016 to quickly respond to large-scale disasters, combining the skills and experiences of military veterans with first responders “to rapidly deploy emergency-response teams in Australia and around the world”.
“DRA is a not-for-profit organisation offering veterans a chance to continue their service by helping and empowering those afflicted by disasters, and also themselves,” Ms Lanthois said.
“DRA is conducting the largest disaster response activity since the inception of the organisation five years ago and skilled volunteers have gotten down to dirty flood recovery work in both Queensland and NSW.
“The veteran-led volunteers have worked alongside locals from Moreton Bay and Pine Rivers regions in Queensland and are now stationed in Coraki, NSW just a short drive from Lismore.”
Mr Summers said his time in Willawarrin had involved jobs like clearing away burnt out chicken coops, cutting trees off fences and clearing a working area for fencers to get in.
“Another team had found a person who had served in a conflict and had lost their home and all their personal items,” Mr Summers said.
“It became a mission for all of us, if we had a few spare moments to go and sift through that person’s home, and we were able to find many of his original medals – obviously minus the ribbon, but at least they were the ones he was awarded.”
He has also worked in Buchan, where he distributed care packages, tools and feed.
“Never underestimate the power of being there when someone needs to unload to a person about what they experienced,” he said.
“In a lot of those circumstances it is sufficient to simply be a sounding board, or offer a little step by step encouragement on how to move forward.”
Mr Summers particularly wished to thank the local community for their support with donations and the Lake Boga Sea Scouts for their support.
To join or support DRA, visit www.disasterreliefaus.org, where there is more information about the organisation, and organise to attend a general induction day.
