Community connections forged through tough times
Anne-Maree and Corps officer Tracy Isles connected during disaster and Anne-Maree has volunteered ever since.
The time we spent at the evacuation centre was a privilege. I really believe that God gave us an incredible opportunity to reach out to our community.
– Captain Tracy Isles, Raymond Terrace Corps Officer
She does not attend the corps, she is out of work, and she survives on a disability pension, yet Anne-Maree has never asked The Salvation Army at Raymond Terrace for financial help.
She does, however, “own” the Raymond Terrace corps kitchen, volunteering to cook a weekly community lunch with the help of her husband and two friends.
Anne-Maree is one of a number of Hunter Valley and Central Coast residents who decided to volunteer for The Salvation Army after being impressed with its recovery efforts during and after the severe storms and floods which hit the region in April.
She came into contact with the Salvos at an evacuation centre during the disaster. The family home was damaged by the floods and they had no power. After being fed and supported by Salvation Army teams over the crisis and recovery phases, strong bonds formed and she and her husband have gone on to become passionate Salvation Army volunteers. Her husband is even undertaking Salvation Army Emergency Services training.
“We got told about the evacuation centre and they welcomed us with open arms,” Anne-Maree says. “The way they treated everybody was incredible.” After watching the Salvos in action, Anne-Maree, her husband and four other family members decided to pitch in, emptying bins and helping pack 250 hampers for others cut off by floodwaters.
Anne-Maree, who also collected for the Red Shield Appeal this year, suffers from the degenerative and potentially fatal Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), yet this doesn't deter her from volunteering..
She says she loves cooking for people and believes that since she received support from The Salvation Army, she should reciprocate. However, she says, her greatest motivation is to support Captain Tracy Isles, the Raymond Terrace Corps Officer. “She is just a lovely lady and she has got the biggest heart of gold,” says Anne-Maree. “My lungs are starting to fade and there is no cure for what I’ve got. But,” she says with a smile, “I’m pretty sure Tracy is praying for me!”
Captain Tracy says the contribution Anne-Maree and other volunteers make to running community lunches – plus cooking for other community outreaches – is invaluable. She says: “This is a very low economic area – one of the lowest in the Hunter, and so we have people that come in of all ages, from the homeless, to addicts, to the elderly who just need company. Having the new volunteers has been a big blessing. And even through something so awful (as the storms), God always makes good!”
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