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Feros Care and the flood response: The stories of our people
21 March 2022
by Karen Crouch, CEO of Feros Care
As a company born out of Byron Bay, we have been very close to the impact of the recent floods in Queensland and New South Wales.
It is hard to believe the extent of the devastation. As I write this, we have seen the homes of both staff members and clients flooded, and many isolated from their families and loved ones.
However, with darkness comes some light. We have seen the most amazing community spirit throughout the areas affected, and amazing support offered from many wanting to help. We have had team members go above and beyond to ensure clients are happy, safe and well, despite their own losses. We have seen clients navigate challenging situations with understanding and empathy – and we appreciate it all.
Here are some stories of individuals and teams who have done everything they can to support those who need it most, as well as how we’ve been able to help.
The team members
Many of those most impacted by the floods were the team members working across our residential villages in Bangalow, Byron Bay and Wommin Bay.
Peter Rurii is the Positive Living Manager at Feros Village Bangalow. When he left his home in Tweed Heads on the morning of Monday February 28, he had no idea that he would not be returning that night.
“We caught up for our morning meeting and I was told, there is a chance you’re not getting home after work today,” Peter says. “My child was at day care, neither myself or my wife could get to him. And there were many others in the same situation.”
The amazing team at Feros Village BangalowSure enough, many team members in the residential villages knew that their homes would likely flood while they were at work – but with no phone connection in the region and no road access, they simply had to wait and see the damage. And with many other team members stuck in their homes or towns, unable to get to work, the pressure was on to keep residents happy, healthy and calm.
“Despite the unknown, despite the losses, everyone kept their spirits up. Team members were sleeping over at the villages in spare beds, then having the strength to wake up and go care for other people. It’s a real testament to their character,” Peter says.
The key to it all was simply being there for each other – and having those conversations over comfort food.
“We went to the shops and bought as much as we could,” Pete laughs. “Lollies, biscuits. You realise that talking about things is good, but sometimes a distraction is better, and there’s no better distraction than a variety of food.”
“At that point it was about survival and conversations. We just talked a lot. Got to know how everyone was actually doing. Those conversations around safety and self-preservation and what Feros Care could do for them.”
“I needed them as much as they needed me. We needed each other to be able to show our emotions.”
The volunteers
With no power and so little access to the villages, there were many additional challenges that came with feeding and looking after residents. Many team members were simply unable to get to work, with others fatigued from the natural disaster.
A Facebook post requesting assistance led to an incredible outcome. At Feros Village Bangalow alone, over 30 volunteers turned up to assist on Tuesday, March 1.
Steph Bejma, the Wellbeing Lead at Bangalow, was quick to screen everyone and give them a quick orientation. From there, volunteers did everything they could to help. Some brought in muffins and coffee for the staff, and others assisted with serving cups of tea and lunch to all the residents.
“One volunteer, Kate, lives just around the corner. It was a resident’s birthday on Wednesday, he is Irish, so she brought in green balloons and a bottle of Guinness for him,” Steph shares.
“With no phones, no internet and no leisure staff, one volunteer ran a quiz game. Another volunteer brought their child, Luther, who went around and read his Bluey book to people. He read it so many times that his mum promised to bring more books next time!”
The positive environment contributed to much laughter and joy around the village, despite all the challenges the floods had brought.
“It was so nice to have people around to spend that time with each other, especially after COVID has impacted volunteers not being able to come in for so long,” Steph says. “And many of them want to continue to volunteer in future, which
is wonderful to see.”
The Feros Care difference
We spent the flood disaster week, and the weeks since, coordinating our emergency response.
Beyond the residential villages, many welfare checks and phone calls were made to our clients to ensure they had continued access to their home for services, along with water and food.
We know it is often the most vulnerable members of our community who are most impacted by these types of disasters, and we did everything we could to continue essential home care services operating.
From a team member support perspective, we’ve been doing everything we can to prioritise staff wellbeing, providing a safe and supportive space for personal discussion.
Caring for our team includes:
- Making additional free counselling sessions available via our Employee Assistance Programme, helping with grief and loss support, facing trauma or financial and legal distress
- Introducing additional paid natural disaster leave for all flood-affected staff
- Offering extensive further support to team members who lost their house and/or household possessions
How to help
So many of us have seen the devastation from the floods and wish to help in some way. As a general rule, time and money are often the best ways to help; sometimes, donating items can hinder recovery efforts and overwhelm charities on the ground.
If you’d like to volunteer, there are many rescue efforts still ongoing in affected towns. Crisis Heroes is a good place to begin and offer help: https://www.crisisheroes.com/
If you’d prefer to donate money, here are some organisations to donate to. They are experts in getting supplies exactly where they need to go:
Above everything, take care of your own and others wellbeing. Natural disasters are highly stressful and traumatic situations. Don’t hesitate to contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 if you need help or visit to beyondblue.org.au for more information.