A charity that has helped drought-stricken and flood-battered farming families stay afloat for almost two decades in south-west Queensland is closing its doors. Source: The Catholic Leader.
Sr Christine Henry, a registered nurse and Sister of Charity, commenced her mission in 2007 when farmers were hit with drought. This was followed by devastating floods.
She began fundraising to provide food hampers, petrol vouchers and support with household bills to farming families.
Those efforts transformed into Downs & West Community Support, a volunteer-led charity which has aided farming families and communities.
After 19 years and 1.4 million kilometres on the road, Sr Christine is sure of one thing – rural communities are built of extraordinary strength, resilience and compassion.
Known locally as Auntie Chris, she became a familiar presence and often turned up unannounced.
“Sometimes I wouldn’t let people know I’m coming to visit until I was 30 minutes away, because I knew they’d bust their boiler to bake or run into town to buy something,” she said.
“I brought what we needed for morning tea because they may not have had anything.”
Aside from food hampers, vouchers and bill support, DWCS volunteers kept their ears to the ground.
“There’s a pride in the bush. People don’t want to let on how hard up they are,” she said.
“We were always on the lookout for those who’d withdrawn, the ones keeping to themselves.”
That help included backyard tidy-ups, mini renovations, new gates, tyres, appliances, school uniforms and excursion fees.
Volunteers gave more than 22,773 hours collecting donations, packing hampers and running working bees and fundraisers, work that also funded events offering socialising, connection and free access to health professionals.
Sr Christine offered pastoral support, spending hours and days with families talking through their stress and anxiety.
If she couldn’t visit in person, she’d phone or FaceTime, write letters or send supplies and gifts.
“While accompanying individuals and families as they articulated their fear, pain, worries and hope, we aimed to respond in the present moment and assisted them to find strength and to draw upon their own resources,” she said.
DWCS advisory committee chair and treasurer Chris Garnier said the organisation’s legacy would live on through the lives it has touched.
“Nineteen years of human kindness cannot be erased from the soil of Queensland,” he said, thanking donors, volunteers, farming families, and “Sr Christine for her 19 years of selfless service”.
FULL STORY
Queensland charity closes after two decades of supporting farming families (The Catholic Leader)
