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NEWSLETTERRECOVERY

As the anniversary of the February 22nd earthquake approached earlier this year, Christchurch nurse Bev Edwards sat down and wrote to Earthquake Recovery Minister Gerry Brownlee and Christchurch Mayor Bob Parker. She wanted to highlight what she called “the forgotten victims” of the earthquake, and the problems people like her were facing.

Bev became a paraplegic when the Tasty Tucker Café roof fell on her as she was having lunch on February 22, 2011. She was in a coma for days, then had to have several operations for a torn diaphragm, damaged spleen, collapsed lung, 10 fractured ribs and to put a plate in her crushed spine.

It cost her family thousands of dollars to travel back and forth to Wellington as her life hung in the balance, and

her self-employed builder husband has lost many hours of work looking after her.

On top of that there were motel costs for family so she didn’t have to live alone for 5 months while her house was modified, and student loan fees for a daughter who has since pulled out of study after suffering post-traumatic stress and depression.

“I feel that my family has a life sentence with me and deserve some support. If I had died the kids would have been entitled to educational grants but because I survived they get nothing.”

Now the New Zealand Red Cross Earthquake Commission is offering extra help for the 23 people most seriously injured in the earthquake, who include amputees and paraplegics.

They’ve already received a one off $7500 grant, but the Commission is recognising that these people will live for the rest of their lives with their own personal earthquake damage.

It has therefore opened up all previous Red Cross grants to this group of people, with the acknowledgement many of them were in hospital or busy with their recovery when the grants were originally offered.

Bev has already received her funds, and says the extra money couldn’t have come at a better time.

“I’m going to use it to get carpet in the house - that will really help with winter coming.

“I’ll also have our dining area made more secure because I can’t chase my grandchildren to make sure they don’t fall down the stairs. And I’ll probably help my daughter pay off a bit of her student loan.

“Thank you so much, it will really help.”

WELCOME

IN THIS ISSUE

MORE HELP FOR THE SERIOUSLY INJURED

May 2012

Welcome to the very first New Zealand Red Cross Recovery newsletter.

We are looking forward to keeping you informed every month about the important work we are doing in Canterbury.

We have recovery programmes planned for the next three to five years, and because recovery is a two-way process, we want to hear from people in the community about what your needs are.

We welcome your feedback, and if you know people who would like to subscribe, please pass this newsletter on or let us know.

corinne.ambler@redcross.org.nz

More help for the seriously injured

Guest Column – Hon Gerry Brownlee

Red cross rolls out torch radios

New grant to help people with disabilities

CORINNE AMBLER EDITOR

NEW ZEALAND RED CROSS

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When natural disasters occur in this country, New Zealanders quite rightly expect their government to lead efforts to put in place the processes and services, with funding to help get through the disaster itself and to assist with recovery.

In Christchurch, as the seismic activity of nearly 21 months has unfolded, providing those services has proved particularly challenging.

We have achieved much however, working in large part in partnership with a number of agencies and community organisations.As a government we have ensured policies are in place to enable people to move on with their lives, initially with initiatives such as wage support to ensure there was not too much job loss, then with policies enabling people to vacate land no longer suitable for residential living.Recovery is a partnership however. There will always be difficulties in people’s lives that cannot be covered by the government. That’s where organisations like the Red Cross step up and fill an important role, ensuring that people’s confidence is maintained, that their dignity is upheld, that their social needs are addressed.I am sure a lot of us think of Red Cross as being an organisation that operates primarily overseas, but the Red Cross provides an invaluable service to New Zealanders too. In the greater Christchurch region it has provided

an essential practical support and advice service to many affected by the earthquakes.New Zealanders are by nature very generous people. Red Cross is able to accumulate those dollars and is in the position of being able to put them to uses which are appropriate and relevant and useful, courtesy of its work on the ground and familiarity with where that need is.Canterbury will continue to face significant challenges. The recovery journey will be a long one. The Red Cross will continue to play an essential and invaluable role on this journey.On behalf of the Government and the people of the greater Christchurch region, I’d like to thank the Red Cross for its hard work. We look forward to continuing to work with you as we continue our recovery efforts together.

Gerry Brownlee

GERRY BROWNLEE MINISTER FOR CANTERBURY EARTHQUAKE RECOVERY

It is now six months since the New Zealand Red Cross Recovery team was set up and I’m proud we have achieved so much in that short time.

The first anniversary of the February 22 earthquake has passed, and while that will be a relief for some, in a lot of ways the hard work starts now.The recovery process is painstaking but also offers the possibility of uplifting people, and of bringing out the best in all of us. Our Outreach programme is a conduit

for people to take positive action. I call on more generous and caring people to join us on our mission to support Cantabrians. With winter approaching we know those affected will have their emotional, physical and financial resources tested.

All New Zealanders have a responsibility and a contribution to make, and as media attention on those affected wanes, I ask that you keep Cantabrians in your thoughts and do what you can to shine attention on the earthquake recovery and to bolster the spirits of these people.

I am about to take up a six-week Winston Churchill fellowship to study recovery lessons from other disasters like Hurricane Katrina and the 2009 L’Aquila earthquake in Italy. I’ll be bringing those lessons home so we can apply the best of them in Canterbury.

I want to thank all those who donated to the Red Cross Earthquake Appeal. Your funds have directly helped those

worst affected by the Canterbury earthquakes and have made a difference in their lives.I also want to thank our dedicated staff and especially our team of Outreach volunteers. You are the backbone of the recovery programme. Your commitment and empathy are inspiring, and you have had a huge impact in improving the lives of vulnerable people in the Canterbury community.Finally I’d like to share this quote with you, I think it says a lot about what we are doing and what we should be aiming for.“All labour that uplifts humanity has dignity and importance and should be undertaken with painstaking excellence.”

Martin Luther King, Jr.

Elizabeth McNaughton

ELIZABETH MCNAUGHTON NATIONAL RECOVERY MANAGER

ELIZABETH MCNAUGHTON - NATIONAL RECOVERY MANAGER

GUEST COLUMN

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RED CROSS ROLLS OUT TORCH RADIOSOne of the most practical ways New Zealand Red Cross can help with disaster preparedness is by handing out torch radios to vulnerable Cantabrians.

So far Red Cross has distributed more than 13,000 of the solar powered and wind up torch radios to schoolchildren, city council tenants, rest home residents, the Women’s Refuge, and Red Cross Meals on Wheels and Outreach clients, and they will soon be going to refugee and migrant groups.

Those eligible for the torch radios are the elderly, the young, and people with disabilities and they are particularly popular with older people because they don’t need batteries.

George and Joyce Dryden of Westmorland, pictured here with Red Cross Outreach volunteer Steve Guyatt, say they spend hundreds of dollars a month on power for medical machinery, so it is handy having a reliable light source that’s self-powered.

“We keep it next to the bed, it makes us feel more secure, especially if

there’s an aftershock and the power goes out.”

The torch radios also have a socket for charging a cellphone.

They’re a vital tool in disaster preparedness – and schoolchildren in particular have been taking them home and spreading the preparedness message within their families.

Each pack includes contact numbers for Red Cross grants and outreach teams and a Civil Defence Household Emergency Checklist and Plan, and volunteers have been encouraging people to fill the checklist out and discuss an emergency plan with family and neighbours.

At a recent open day at the new stadium, Red Cross staff and volunteers handed out around 500 torch radios to eligible people, as well as grants forms and preparedness messaging.

If you are eligible, and would like a Red Cross torch radio please contact the Outreach team on 0800 4 Outreach (0800 468 873).

PROGRAMMES IN BRIEF

OUTREACH PROGRAMME

VOLUNTEERS

RECOVERY NEWSLETTER MAY 2012

The recovery Outreach programme has been expanding rapidly – as quickly as volunteer numbers allow. It is incredible what we have achieved in such a short time – more than 500 Outreach visits and close to 1400 door knocks. Lately the Outreach programme has been giving those with mobility and isolation issues help in the form of taxi chits, including Roger Young of Wainoni pictured above, who says he’ll use them to catch up with old friends.

Our Outreach volunteers are literally the eyes and ears of the recovery programme. They work in the community every day, and bring back any common concerns or trends to the recovery team, so new grants and programmes can be formulated in direct response to the needs of the community. This small group of people distribute torch radios, listen to the lonely, help people apply for grants, and refer people to other services like Depression Support or Earthquake Support Coordinators. However, we have only 50 of these dedicated individuals, and we are always looking for more. If you would like to volunteer please contact the Outreach team on 0800 4 Outreach (0800 468 873).

NATIONAL OFFICEPO Box 12140, Wellington 69 Molesworth Street, Thorndon, Wellington 6144Phone: 04 471 8250 Email: national@redcross.org.nz Website: www.redcross.org.nz

CONTACT

NEW ZEALAND RED CROSS RECOVERY NEWSLETTER

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KEY STATISTICS

GRANTS

Every time there’s an aftershock Te Ramanui Marriner becomes anxious and angry, taking it out on those around him, including his 6-year-old sister. The 16-year-old had a stroke when he was three weeks old, which left him with brain damage and behavioural problems.

Before the earthquakes Te Ramanui had a steady routine to keep him stable, and a long list of fun activities to keep him happy.

But the closure of facilities like QEII Park and Centennial Pool, and the destruction of the inner city, has taken all his leisure activities away.

“He used to go swimming, but he doesn’t go any more. The other pools

are too far away and too busy and noisy for him. We also used to bus into town and watch the buskers but we can’t do that anymore either,” mum Lisa says.

International research shows people with disabilities are disproportionately disadvantaged in disasters, and also tend to be excluded.

So last month the Red Cross Earthquake Commission approved a new grant to help people with disabilities whose quality of life has been adversely affected by damage to infrastructure and reduced access to services.

The Disability Support Grant of $750 can be used for respite care, transport, recreation or simply a break out of Christchurch.

Earthquake Commission chair Sir John Hansen says many carers in Canterbury are reaching breaking point trying to deal with their own earthquake damage, and their job is being made harder by greater travel times and fewer facilities.

Lisa says the earthquakes have had a financial impact on the family and combined with a lack of respite care, the situation has been incredibly stressful.

She is delighted with the grant, and says she will use it to take the family on its first holiday in six years – to a bach on the West Coast.

“Just a break away from the shaking, I can’t wait. Thank you so much.”

Several Red Cross Earthquake Commission grants are still open, including Winter Assistance, Storage, Independent Advice, and Disability. For more information or to apply please call 0800 754 726 or go to www.redcrosseqgrants.org.nz

NEW GRANT TO HELP PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES

Rochelle is the recovery team’s research analyst. Her main responsibility is sourcing and analysing information to support proposals for new grants.

She researches best practice overseas and consults with other agencies to establish if there is a need for a particular grant, and to make sure we are not replicating grants or services already out there.

Rochelle also scopes proposals for Red Cross community outreach programmes.

She says the best part of her job is receiving feedback that Red Cross grants and programmes are making a difference in people’s lives.

STAFF PROFILE

ROCHELLE BERRY

$67 million handed out in grants

77,000 received grants

so far

520 outreach visits

1388 door knocks

13,743 torch radios handed out

MAY 2012