Record Breaking Army of QLD Volunteers
18 January 2011 at 9:33 am
More than 62,000 volunteers have now registered with Volunteering Queensland – a record breaking army of volunteers wanting to help during a natural disaster in Australia.
Volunteering Queensland says as far as it knows, this is the largest number of volunteers who have registered to help during a natural disaster in Australia.
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| Cleaning up in Brisbane. Flickr Image: Some rights reserved by Jamfaced |
Volunteering Qld CEO Jelenko Dragisic says it is treating this as a long-term undertaking. He says the organisation has ramped up its activities and capabilities to cope, and this will continue for many, many months ahead.
Dragisic says thousands of volunteers will be needed for months and asks people to continue putting their hands up, be patient, but be ready for the call whenever it may come.
Many community groups around flood affected areas of Qld have told Volunteering Qld they are yet to fully determine what kind of support they need to recover, repair and rebuild.
Volunteering Qld is urging anyone who has not yet registered to volunteer to consider doing so.
Volunteering Qld CEO Jelenko Dragisic says volunteers who have signed up but have not yet received a call-up should not be concerned, as the recovery effort would require volunteers for days, weeks and months ahead.
Dragisic says while people do want to spring into action immediately, the most valuable help people can provide may be next week or even next month.
Volunteering Qld has provided the following step-by-step explanation to inform people how the process works:
Step 1: Potential volunteers visit www.volunteeringqld.org.au and complete the registration form online or call 1800 994 100.
Step 2: Each volunteer’s details, including their location and the kind of help they can provide, are entered into Volunteering Qld’s Community Response to Extreme Weather (CREW) register.
Step 3: Agencies such as the Red Cross, Salvation Army, government, and city and regional councils contact Volunteering Qld on a regular basis and advise of their immediate and long-term volunteer requirements.
Step 4: Volunteering Qld searches the CREW register for people who match the requirements of the agency.
Step 5: Volunteers are contacted by Volunteering Qld or directly by an agency to discuss the project and whether they can help.
Volunteering Qld has been providing public health support to the government cleanup efforts by providing fact sheets to ensure volunteers know how to stay safe and healthy. To download the fact sheet, click here http://www.emergencyvolunteering.com.au/documents/StaySafeAndHealthyDuringFloodRecovery.pdf
