10 April 2024
In the wake of the bushfires that affected the community of Tara in October 2023, there was a heartening display of compassion as handmade quilts found their way into the homes of SCCQ Home Care clients, offering a little solace amidst tragedy and showcasing the power of community goodwill.
Leandra and her family were just some of the many locals in Tara who lost their home in the devastating bushfire last year. Leandra, her husband, and daughter, like many others, had no choice but to evacuate.
In addition to losing their home, Leandra, an SCCQ Home Care client, also lost her husband Chris, passing away only a few months later, “It was really hard. We lost the house on 28 October and we weren’t able to save much, but we were able to get everyone out including the dogs.
Then to lose my husband soon after that, it has been very difficult”, said Leandra. Similarly, Denise, another SCCQ Home Care client, and her husband Victor, also had to flee their Tara home during the bushfires, evacuating to two different evacuation centres. Although they were lucky not to lose their home in the fire, Denise as the main carer for her husband Victor at the time, found the evacuation centres were not well set up for people with walkers or wheelchairs, making caring for Victor quite difficult during that time.
Yet, amidst their trials, Leandra, Denise, and others found comfort in the generosity of strangers. Handcrafted quilts, lovingly created by craft enthusiasts Pamela and Donna from the Sunshine Coast, emerged as symbols of empathy and support, and were distributed to Leandra and Denise with the help of SCCQ.
For Leandra, receiving such a gift was profoundly meaningful, “Receiving the quilt was so nice and it meant a lot because it was something that someone was giving from their heart.”
Similarly, it also meant a lot to Denise, “To receive something that was bright and happy at time when things felt really hard, that was just lovely”.
Denise with her gifted quilt
Leandra receiving her new quilt
Leandra’s property after bushfire
