Under the New Zealand Civil Defence agreement, in a disaster the Sallies are called on to feed, and provide food for affected people. At three ‘welfare centres’ (sports ground, school, community hall) the Sallies, with catering partners, are feeding up to 1,500 people a day, whilst other personnel are providing counsel and ‘a listening’ ear to these people who have lost homes and property.
At the end of the day, after the visit information has been collated we have an army of volunteers that will deliver about 600 food parcels to those who are unable to get into our food distribution centre. That’s on top of the 250-300 parcels that are given to people that have been able to come to the centre and find food and support.
At the moment and for the foreseeable future we have a team of about 100 people out there, (not including those of us in the incident command centre) making a difference and caring for people in the most basic but essential of ways. At the end of any day numerous affected people have had a Sallie give them the time of day and offer them a moment of hope in a context of utter devastation.
Every day, but reducing, we are rocked by aftershocks – the glass, the floor and the walls shake, the locals in our team take a deep breath - and hold it, then it is gone. Someone usually makes some inappropriate joke (about the lack of laundry facilities, or the fact that their wearing dark trousers) and we get on with the work of getting Sallies out there, amongst the people.
There is a long way to go, and there is so much to do – but the Sallies (Salvos) out there should be very proud of what is happening here. The reputation of our ‘flying squads’ is unbelievable: the partnerships that are being formed will both enhance our ‘trust factor’ and demand that we be accountable to the community, but it will also increase our capacity to transform society.
People will only be influenced by those they trust!
