Holloways Hub offers food, friendship and even fridges
Something truly extraordinary has emerged from the despair that followed the December floods that smashed many Cairns suburbs.
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Something truly extraordinary has emerged from the despair that followed the December floods that smashed many Cairns suburbs.
Five Cairns residents, including local Holloways Beach legend Dan Cairns, who rescued 19 people in his kayak as the water rose on December 17, started doing what they could to help people.
They were based alongside the state government’s community recovery hub at the sports complex in Wistaria St at Holloways Beach, and had to find a new home when that service moved to Smithfield.
After a couple of moves, they’re at the Men’s Shed in Oleander St.
The Holloways Hub volunteer donation crew – many full-time workers who took leave to help out – grew to 20-odd people with Renee Amadio and Rennae Brant-Goodwin co-ordinating the astonishing effort.
Stephanie Russell-Farnham and Pat Willcocks have proven key to the success of the hub too.
The hub offers plenty – it is currently handing out about 200 meals, donated by caterers, restaurants, community groups and individuals daily – to those who are in emergency accommodation with no cooking facilities.
It has a second hand “shop” – but everything is free, from crockery to clothes, children’s toys, bedding, and linen.
A shed holds non-perishable food, pet food, baby formula, toiletries, sanitary products and more – all donated by businesses big and small, and by individuals.
A critical service is sourcing big essential household items for those who’ve lost everything – fridges, mattresses, beds, couches, dining tables and the like. It operates with a sign-in book where people who need things leave a list and their number, and people who have things to give away do the same, as well as on social media.
A glance at the book shows people from suburbs including Kuranda, Caravonica, Lake Placid, Machans Beach and Yorkeys Knob, as well as Holloways Beach, are in desperate need of basic household items.
Another key element of the hub is that it is a place for people of all ages to come and chat and, together, start to process the trauma of the flood.
Ms Amadio said the hub continued to evolve to meet people’s needs.
“Initially it was emergency, everything was needed, now it is down to meals and essential items – people are being placed in hotels or motels, or camping or sleeping in their cars, or they can’t find anywhere because they’ve got animals,” she said.
She said the herculean cleaning effort had slowed and walls were now being ripped out of buildings. “I’ve noticed people starting to take sheets and things like that, so some people might be going back into their houses to sort things out,” Ms Amadio said.
“The mental health side of things is going to be huge.
“There are so many sad stories of fear, loss and pain but also tears of joy, happiness and an overwhelming feeling when people realise we’ve got their backs – it’s so rewarding.”
Ms Amadio said the value of donations would be at least $300,000.
“We started out being the mud army, door knocking, filling up jerry cans for Kamerunga Villas, co-ordinating trades people,” she said.
“We wanted to ensure no man was left out or left behind, and we think the ball was dropped by those we count on.”
She estimated more than 3000 people had sought help and the hub has handed out almost 17,000 meals.
The hub has assisted people from Innisfail to Cooktown and has done several trips to Bloomfield with supplies.
Fiona Wilson, visiting the hub, said when more rain came, people suffered symptoms of PTSD.
“The hub is amazing – people donating food and everything, and they are so accommodating they’re like, help yourself,” she said.
“Who knows where we would have been without them? But we’ve got a long way to go, so many people are displaced.”
Eboni Owens, at the hub with her daughter Isla Proctor, counts herself lucky they have not had to move out of their Magnolia St home.
“We kept ourselves busy, it just broke my heart it happened so close to Christmas, so many families have nothing and I’m just so lucky,” she said.
Ms Amadio said the group planned to launch a website where people could seek items they needed. The hub, which is completely independent, has reduced its opening hours and is open from Monday to Friday from 4pm to 6pm, and Saturday from 10am to noon.
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