Vinnies @ Work -
Queensland Floods 2011

These stories are representative of countless examples of St Vincent de Paul Society Queensland in action throughout the State in response to the Queensland Floods 2011.

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Disaster recovery

The St Vincent de Paul Society in Brisbane worked tirelessly to stock the key evacuation centres at the RNA Showground and QEII with donated clothing, bedding and essentials. The team coordinated the purchase of a considerable amount of new undergarments for flood victims at the evacuation centres and the removal of excess donations once the evacuation centres closed down.

The local Kenmore branch in Brisbane is located right in the middle of a severely affected area. It immediately set up a help centre at the local primary school, Our Lady of the Rosary at Kenmore on the first available day people could get in and out of the area. Clean clothing, a counselling service, financial assistance and food were provided to approximately 250 people who requested assistance.

Providing immediate relief - whatever the situation

There was a young man in Chinchilla who had lost all his clothing in the flood. He contacted the Chinchilla branch and two members came to his aid. As the Chinchilla Vinnies store was inundated with water itself, the two ladies boarded the SES boat at the round-a-bout near the Post Office and proceeded to the store. Here they were able to gain entry and gather up suitable clothing for the young man.  They then boarded the SES boat to return to dry land.  

Ninety trucks were stranded on the highway near Miles in South Western Queensland due to flood affected roads. Many of the truck drivers had taken their children along with them, as they were on school holidays. After a day of being stranded, the local branch went out to visit and assess the situation. The local Vinnies branch took the group of bored children into town to the local museum, whilst in the evening a large group of people who had no food were provided with a roast dinner, and those with children were put up in the local motel.

A two bedroom unit in Goodna was housing 15 people – these residents didn’t want to evacuate to the evacuation centre so the family living in this unit took in two other families. Society members assisted them with food, blankets and the local St Vincent de Paul Society Buranda Support Centre is sourcing mattresses for two adults and four kids as all 15 are still living in this one unit.

If you need disaster assistance phone: 1300 633 343.

Person to person contact

In Western Brisbane, teams have been doorknocking in some areas to see if people need help. As the days go on, residents have been taking up Vinnies’ kind offers – a hot meal, being able to wash their clothes and extra cleaning products like disinfectants. In addition to the material assistance, the local Vinnies teams are providing friendship and emotional support - chatting and taking down details of any serious needs whilst sharing a joke and a coffee. Once the remainder of the areas are safe to enter, this work will expand considerably.

Working with other agencies to make a difference

The Ipswich Family Intervention Service staff are working with Lifeline to assist in the overwhelming demand for counselling services for people affected by the floods.

In partnership with Micah, St Vincent de Paul Society has housed a family from Toowoomba who were left homeless after the floods.