Help Pay Volmoed Staff Wages in lean winter months

                          VOLMOED STAFF REPORT DECEMBER 2023

 THANK YOU FOR YOUR GENEROUS DONATIONS!                                    

We have the most wonderful staff! Even though the times are so hard for so many, and the September floods brought such hardship, they remain cheerful and faithful. For eight weeks following the level 9 rain storms that dumped almost a year’s worth of rain in 36-48 hours in our region, life was more than the usually difficult.  

Initially there was no power for six days, and roads were inaccessible as bridges and roads were washed away. The infrastructure of the big local dam was also severely damaged when much of the pipelines were washed away.                   

Our staff in the towns had to go and get water in containers, from trucks that brought in water from other regions. Thankfully a donor gave each staff member 10 liters of bottled water to help them get by, and got them containers to fetch water in. This affected thousands of people in the area.

At Volmoed the staff worked tirelessly to mop up after the floods -- even though one staff member’s house had five enormous gum trees fall on this house. Another staff person had a huge gum tree fall on their car and damage it irreparably. So these are very difficult times for all our staff.

As always, we are grateful for so much. It finally stopped raining every week, just a few weeks ago and the weather got warmer. The staff were given a December bonus and enjoyed their annual Christmas lunch, all thanks to our generous donors.

We continue to share stories from staff and residents on Wednesday mornings, building community between us. There have been some great stories and a lot of laughter, and some incredible stories from those who have been here the longest. We have definitely gotten to know each other better. The staff’s commitment to Volmoed is a gift to us all. In many ways they hold this place together. As they are a gift to Volmoed, so you are a gift to Volmoed through your generosity. Thank you so much!

YOUR GENEROUS DONATIONS ARE MUCH APPRECIATED! THANK YOU!