TAKING KINDNESS TO THE PEOPLE

In January 2020, bushfires tore through the valleys surrounding Pastor DEBBIE GADD’S home in Tumbarumba. Along with others, she found refuge in Wagga. This story picks up as they return to Tumbarumba and the COVID-19 pandemic begins.

When COVID closed down the Council Fire Recovery Centres, Debbie and fellow chaplain Phillis were given an official letter from Chaplaincy Australia to continue their work in the community. In the ensuing months, they visited 224 properties.

“Right through COVID we were allowed to go to doorsteps, not into homes, but to doorsteps, farm gates, fence lines, wherever you find the people. We’ve ventured out onto country roads that we’d never been on before and we’ve been lost a few times, but it was worth it. And we were the only ones able to do that in this community for those first few months of COVID shutdown,” Debbie explains.

“The community has been majorly affected by the fires and continues to be. Initially, the remedy we were all striving to achieve was community, community, community. The minute COVID hit, all that community had to stop, and that’s why it was such a blessing to be able to continue the chaplaincy, because we were still able to connect with people, which was vital.”

The thing is, when people talk it out, they usually work out it. With chaplaincy you’re just going and visiting and listening – and as they tell their story it’s releasing. Instead of it all being bottled up, it’s bringing it out. And when it’s out, you can look at it and process it. Every time we tell a story, we’re processing it,” said Debbie.

“I fully believe the power of the story is that when we’re willing to share, other people will be willing to share. That then creates connection, trust, vulnerability, relationships and caring, and having people around you who care really changes everything.”

Debbie says everyone in the community can make a difference for someone.

“I recommend just going to visit people – just drop in, talk to them while they’re fencing along the road, go and have a coffee or ask them out to lunch or dinner. Just connect in those little ways,” she encourages. “Just keep that connection going because there’s power in that and power in sharing our stories.”

This story and image were originally published by Murrumbidgee Primary Health Network