The True Spirit of Australians
– 24 January 2020 – Message from our CEO –
It has not been the start to 2020 that anyone would want. Five states burning. Property destroyed. Wildlife decimated. Thirty-three people dead.
We know that bushfire is part of this great land – the driest continent on the planet, with seeds that only germinate after a fire – but the ferocity, scale and devastation of these last few months is outside of our experience – and horrifying.
As Australia Day approaches, it’s a good time to appreciate the spirit of the Australian people who are on the fire grounds fighting the fires, the members of our armed forces working side by side with the first responders to provide emergency assistance, our charities and social workers ensuring support and resources get to those who have lost everything, and all those across Australia, supporting one another and caring for the injured stock and wildlife.
I see these people demonstrating dedication, care and camaraderie. I see the traditional values of digging in when times are tough and looking out for each other. I’m proud once again to be Australian and to know that we can rely on each other.
We may feel helpless at times like this, but there are things we can all do.
We’ve held a raffle to support the Victorian Bushfire Disaster Appeal and I appreciate all your support for it. Some of our residents have been knitting pouches and blankets for injured wildlife while others have been making food balls to support surviving animals. And we’ve been collecting donations. If you haven’t already, please donate to a recognised charity to support the victims.
There have been aged care homes caught in the path of the fires, evacuating and relocating residents to safety while caring for their needs, physical and emotional. We are fortunate that none of our sites has been threatened. The safety of our residents and staff always comes first: we have systems and processes in place, ready to activate, in case we ever need to take such drastic measures.
I sincerely hope that the smoke haze over the past few weeks is the worst thing we have to put up with. Please stay safe and let us all remember those in every corner of Australia as we mark this year’s Australia Day.
Janna Voloshin, CEO