Kylie has been in the Australian Red Cross for 5 years as an emergency services volunteer, as a support worker for asylum seekers and refugees and working in their membership and volunteering space. Kylie is now in the Aged Care team as the Business Development Officer and her role is to promote their services to a broad audience of both services users and potential volunteers.
Red Cross was established in 1863 by Swiss Henry Dunant to help take better care of wounded soldiers. Australian Red Cross was launched in 1914. Its main aim was to provide comfort in the form of food, chocolates and clothing for soldiers battling overseas. 400,000 parcels of food and 200,000 of clothing were delivered to the troops.
Today, Red Cross services include:
- First Aid and Mental Health
- Lifeblood (blood donations)
- Thrift Shops
- Emergency and disaster relief
- Aged and community care
- Migrants in Transition - helping needy temporary visa holders
Their Redi Plan workshops, sponsored by NRMA, are aimed at rural communities potentially prone to natural disasters like fire and flood ....to keep themselves safe by proper preparation, with evacuation plans to gather up essentials and move speedily. Kids in classes 3-4 have special 'pillow case' training to also gather up their besties quickly.
For temporary visa holders, support includes: financial, restoring family links (eg Ukraine), helping trafficked people, a bilingual program [with 8 bilingual volunteers] for women (which helped with injections during Covid), women's health, paid employment opportunities and refugee experience telling in high schools.
Aged Care services include: social and emotional support for the vulnerable and lonely; Telecross [started 53 years ago] regularly checking on the well-being of those at risk (particularly the elderly living alone); visitations; heat wave check-ups; and transport to medical and social appointments.
There is a knitting group of 20, supported by Qantas, who provide trauma teddies for youngsters.
During bush fire and flood emergencies the SA Housing Trust organises the relief centres from which services are delivered.
In SA there are 50 branches with a total of 700 members, and 1500 volunteers (5000 across Australia). nce, almost every suburb had an ARC branch. Valerie reflected on her time as a volunteer.
Like many volunteer organisations, finding new recruits is a challenge as is fundraising. Kylie is on a mission to increase the organisation's capability. We were all left with a neat red bag containing a jawbreaker (large lolly in North Adelaide footy colours) and ARC info.
Kylie was applauded for her address.
Spots
President Rhonda announced that each service committee will be preparing its 2025/26 budget aligned with the 7 areas of focus and regionalisation objectives. There needs to be vision and goals. We should aim to get our hands dirty rather than rely on chequebook financing. Each committee will have $14,000 allocated {not nearly enough for the Youth Committee to travel to an exotic resort to devise a sensational program}. It was intended that budgets be filed by the next Board meeting on 31 August but now perhaps the following one. At each Board meeting, the committee chairs will provide budget progress reports.
It is important that each application for payment is properly authorised with invoice, receipts and chair sign-off for action by the treasurer.....treasurer@unleyrotary.org.au. John Peacham will be the Vice (hope Rhonda did not mean this literally) Treasurer to relieve ultra-busy Brenton.
Patsy will provide the 'ideas' gold box next week and Simon is to collect ideas from Club Runner member inserts....may need a CR training program??
Patsy Beckett [Caring Report] announced that PP John's leg is improving, Ken is on the mend with a new GP and walker, and Wendy is recovering from her fall 2 weeks ago.
Marie Rothe did her bit for our ultra Quiz Night of 30 August. 18 tables of 10. Garry in full swing. Bring a table. We need more wine (agree with that)....for the wine wall and more raffle prizes. Volunteers to set up at 4pm. The Youth Committee will be hosting next week's meeting when we will hear about the teaching of English to new arrrivals and the Youth Sailing Challenge.
The Prez introduced Kylie as a compassionate, dedicated and experienced social worker and professional fundraiser with experience in community engagement, event management, marketing and communications....with over 25 years’ experience working in the womens’ sector and humanitarian space, in both direct client support and managerial roles. She aims to build the capacity of the not for profit sector and enable service users to reach their full potential.
