See the Impact of DRA, Veteran Tory
Joining DRA has given me more meaning to fill in the spare time that I’ve had and come down and help the community. The self-worth it gives you and the interaction with other veterans’ emergency service is just great to see the smiles and the community starting to recover from this tragedy.
Put My Skills to Use Helping Australians, Veteran Spot Swales
I was drawn to volunteer with Disaster Relief Australia (DRA) due to its focus on supporting veterans. After service in the Royal Australian Navy in the 1960s and 1970s, I wanted to put my skills to use in helping Australians, especially with the recent floods in New...
Passion to Give up Time for Community, Veteran, Alan Ashman
I first heard about Disaster Relief Australia (DRA) by following the journey of another member who has been with DRA for a few years and seeing the operations that he had deployed on. Seeing the great work he’s done as a member of DRA led me to think “this...
Positive Support Through Empowerment – Veteran, Josh Bailey
My military service began at age 17 as an Army reservist, with the 2/17 Battalion, Royal New South Wales Regiment. Based in Blacktown, Sydney. Not long prior, I completed year ten and had an apprenticeship fall through. It was a friend in the reserves who drew my...
True Heroes – Veteran, Wayne Larson
In the 80’s I was a writer in the Navy. My grandfather, my great uncle, cousins, myself and now my son, all joined the Navy. It was generational. After 5 years of service, I left and headed down a pathway in training and development, training in First Aid and...News
We are excited to announce that Disaster Relief Australia has been recognised for an Outstanding Achievement in The Australian Charity Awards 2022. This is the third consecutive year that DRA has received an award in this category which recognises charitable organisations that have achieved outstanding results through initiatives that have significantly benefited charitable causes. The 2022 Outstanding Achievement was awarded to DRA for our plans to build our veteran-led volunteer base to create a fit-for-purpose model of continued service to the nation, while at the same time, establishing veterans as a much-needed national asset in disaster resilience and recovery. Our plans to build our volunteer workforce over the next three years will address a whole-of-nation resilience-based approach to disaster management, which recognises that a national, coordinated, and cooperative effort is needed to enhance Australia’s capacity to withstand and recover from emergencies and disasters. In partnership with the Australian Government’s announced funding, we will be significantly building our organisation, infrastructure and capability to always provide optimal support and relief for vulnerable communities affected by natural and #humanitarian disasters. We will further develop systems to connect with other emergency response and relief agencies and increase interoperability as well as to recruit more volunteers into DRA. Volunteering with DRA is a great way for anyone wishing to expand their skills set and either deploy into communities impacted by disaster to aid in their recovery or other #opportunities volunteering behind the scenes to support our recovery operations and daily non-profit activities. To learn more about our award submission visit: Australian Charity Awards – 2022 Winners
With lessons learned from 2017, Debra thought the upstairs of her store was well protected against rising waters. She was wrong. The 2022 Northern Rivers flood hit hard. Her premises, stock and irreplaceable collectables were significantly damaged. Under pressure and devastated, Debra attempted to repair the damage, run her business and manage the loss of her home in South Lismore. With overwhelming tasks piled high, DRA stepped in. They relocated damp and mouldy records, cleaned stock and cleared areas for use again. Debra said of the team: “I just couldn’t stop saying oh my god, oh my god because it had such a huge impact. To really see the progress is psychologically uplifting and amazing. For example, there was a team member who fixed my roller door. It had been damaged after the flood and was covered in mud. Just to see the blue paint on the door rather than the mud was phenomenally uplifting. I don’t know why I keep using the word uplifting, but it was just amazing.”
