Nazareth pitches in for flood victims
Schools
Nazareth Catholic Community has rallied to help flood victims on the east coast of Australia after the family of one of its teachers was impacted by the disaster.
Emily Johns, a music teacher at the western suburbs school, said her sister Jessie Johns lives in South Golden Beach on the coast of New South Wales and her car “drowned” in the floods, but she wasn’t as badly affected as others.
“She’s still quite upset about the circumstances of it all and is very exhausted as she is volunteering almost every day to help her community in the Northern Rivers,” Emily said.
Staff at Nazareth generously donated enough items to fill a pallet which was delivered to Emily’s father’s business, BR Construction Supplies. There were 38 pallets in total donated from people all over Adelaide and South Australia that were freighted at no cost by Northline Freight to northern NSW.
“My sister has hired a massive storage container to be able to sort through and distribute the items as needed, specifically for Lismore and surrounding communities,” Emily said.
Items donated included cleaning products, spray bottles, shovels, heavy duty gloves, scourers, clothes, spongers, bin bags, vinegar, medical supplies, bedding and grocery vouchers.
Emily said she was “extremely surprised” at how much was donated and “proud of the number of staff who assisted and also reached out to me personally which was so lovely”.
“It is very important for her and the flood victims to know that the rest of Australia wants to help,” she said.
“Times like this are incredibly traumatic for the victims, and for years to come as they rebuild, so it’s imperative for them to have the support they need from all communities nationwide, not just their own.
“Considering the lack of government support, the more that we can do as citizens to support them, the better. Every little bit counts.
“I just hope they feel our support and that it’s enough to get some people back on their feet.”
Emily added that she felt “a bit helpless down here knowing what was happening up there”.
“The fact my sister had organised this opportunity meant that the wider community in my life could also support my sister from afar – this felt like the right thing to do and I knew I could finally help in some way,” she said.
“I knew the ‘Naz family’ would get on board!”
Students at Nazareth have their own have plans to assist flood victims in Queensland, such as raffles to raise money and putting together ‘care packages’ comprised of essential items from socks to shampoo.
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