Recovery underway in Blue Mountains

Recovery operations are well underway at The Salvation Army’s Relief Support Centre in the Blue Mountains west of Sydney where bushfires destroyed nearly 200 homes a little more than a week ago.

Volunteers and personnel are working with more than 150 individuals and families to assess both short and long term need and provide immediate assistance. The Salvation Army is urging anyone across the region who has been affected by the bushfire disaster to make contact and find out what assistance is available.

“We know that many, many people are hurting,” says Salvation Army spokesperson Major Jeff Winterburn. “Businesses have lost money, many homes have gone without power and water; the effect of these fires has been quite far-reaching.

“We want to let you know that there is assistance available. Please get in touch so that we can walk alongside you in your recovery.”

The Relief Support Centre is providing immediate financial assistance and working with people to map out a longer-term recovery plan.

“We have also been able to provide counselling to people and have referred people in financial stress to our specialised financial counsellors.”

In the upper Blue Mountains, Salvation Army officers Lieutenant Jon and Leah Belmonte have spent the past two days doorknocking more than 200 homes in bushfire affected streets, offering immediate financial assistance.

“There’s a lot of complex needs and issues that we’re working to address,” says Lt Jon Belmonte. “A lot of these people are on water tanks… they’ve exhausted nearly all their water.

“What we did straight away was that we drove around and we delivered cases of bottled water.”

Yesterday The Salvation Army organised delivery of 35,000 litres of donated water to several properties.