BCHS Quality of care 2024 digital - Flipbook - Page 14
Flood recovery team a source of resilience
The BCHS flood recovery team again stepped up to support
those affected by the floods and storms of summer 2023.
Officers Danielle Hanks and Oscar Malyon already had more than
12 months’ experience assisting people, particularly those from
Rochester, navigate insurance claims, apply for and access
government grants, deal with tradespeople, link with mental
healthcare and even find housing.
In collaboration with GIVIT and Emergency Recovery
Victoria, the team sourced funds for groceries, furniture,
fuel and farming equipment for those experiencing
financial hardship after being affected by the floods.
The team’s experiences also provided insight into what
individuals and communities needed in the aftermath
of a disaster.
BCHS has now joined
with the Alliance of
Rural and Regional
Community Health
(ARRCH) to lobby for
a permanent Recovery
and Resilience Program
to be embedded
within its member
organisations.
A father’s post-flood story
“We were recently flooded out of our last rental
property and managed to walk out with a few
clothes and some important paperwork and
that’s it. We had no insurance, and the rental
property couldn’t be fixed for 12+ months. We
were given a $900 EFTPOS card to get some
clothes, food and to pay to get all my stuff out of
the house and to the rubbish sites. We were also
given three nights’ accommodation and were left
to fend for ourselves, I managed to get a single
bed for my daughter and a $50 gift card to spend
in store at St Vincent’s.
I then received a phone call from Oscar Malyon.
I thought I had been written off and was trying
to figure out how I was going to build everything
back up.
daughter’s and my life, and more important than
He originally tried to get me a couple of grants
but was unsuccessful and rang me to let me know
but told me he would keep trying. His persistence
paid off in a big way and he got me a grant which
will restore my daughter’s and my feelings of
self-worth. It will dramatically improve our quality
of life and help me bring my daughter up in a nice
relaxing environment again.
I’m so happy with the way in which Oscar
has conducted himself … he has changed my
any materialistic things, is the positive outcome
he has had on our mental health.”
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Pictured: Oscar Malyon
