Staying optimistic
We met with Pastor Louise at her home on a freezing Saturday morning on Kangaroo Island. She is excited about her grandchildren visiting her later today.
Despite all the devastation, Pastor Louise stays optimistic and is serving the community selflessly.
Stokes Bay is part of Pastor Louise diocese.
The church is doing great work; they are providing a free pub meal weekly to the BlazeAid volunteers. She is also dispersing funds to the community in need.
Lost everything on the family farm
Pastor Louise did not escape the devastation of the bushfires. Her family suffered too. Her oldest son Ben, who is managing the family farm, and wife Sabrina are living in a caravan after they lost everything on the farm. They are borrowing a caravan that needs to be returned soon.
She promised to make contact with Robert Benney living in Parndana on behalf of One Light Foundation. Robert, a pensioner, is renting a home after losing everything. He lost his wife a couple of years ago and was on his own when the fires came. Robert is severely traumatised.
Kindness
Back on the Gold Coast, we received a message from Pastor Louise that she saw Robert Benney and told him the great news of his Grant from our donors…. he was quite overcome by the kindness shown to him.
Road to recovery is long and slow
Letter to the One Light donors.
Thank you so much for raising funds for our recovery after the January 2020 bushfires on Kangaroo Island.
We appreciate every donation we receive as the road to recovery is long and slow, and the funds are running low.
We are planning to spend the funds you raised for us on a new 2wd quad bike. We lost all our quad bikes during the fires, and they are convenient, now to get to narrow and poorly accessible areas on the farm, later once restocked to help with the sheep work.
We are incredibly grateful that people are still thinking of us 9-10 months after the fire and that we have been chosen to receive this money.
Ben and Sabrina
Please keep supporting the Kangaroo Island victims, donate here.