State-wide food drive underway for those affected by Cudlee Creek bushfire
Hundreds of residents affected by the Cudlee Creek bushfires are still left without basic necessities, including home cooked meals. Thankfully, a dedicated group of volunteers is lending a hand.
Adelaide Hills
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Adelaide Hills locals have launched a state-wide food drive to assist those affected by the Cudlee Creek bushfires.
More than 7000 meals have been delivered to hundreds of homes since December 20, with thousands more yet to be distributed.
Krystie Tarca, Kelly Johnston and Tania Shoell are behind the initiative, which is partially driven by the “Meals for fire affected families’ facebook page.
There’s also a meal delivery distribution centre run by the Onkaparinga Lutheran Parish in Woodside.
“We’re kind of two different groups who joined together. I’m part of the church here and Krystie runs the facebook page,” Ms Johnston said.
“We came together after the fire, as we were both looking for ways to help those in need.
“On the first day we only made 10 meals and delivered them to homes on the main street (of Woodside), but now, we’ve visited well over 800 homes.”
Ms Tarca, who oversees recruitment, said the meal drive had become an important part in connecting with residents struggling to cope since the fire.
“We’ve found it’s become more about listening and talking to people, not about a home cooked meal, although that does help,” she said.
“A lot of people affected by the fires weren’t insured, or even if they were insured, that’s all taking time and they may not be getting back what they hoped they would.
“So a lot of people feel displaced and from what we see, certainly from a mental perspective and depression, things are only going to get worse so we want to help where we can.”
Ms Tarca said six main community groups, consisting of qualified chef and cafe owners, currently prepared the majority of food for delivery.
However, they had now also recruited the help of some local businesses, including Dunns of Woodside, which allows residents to “pay forward” for those still struggling.
“With everything greening up, people will start to forget about what happened, so we need groups like ours to keep pushing ahead and supporting these people,” Ms Tarca said.
“We will do so for as long as it takes, be it 12 months or longer. We won’t stop till we’re told we’re no longer needed.”