Time for a helping hand

MAYOR Geoff Ablett will launch the City of Casey’s March Red Cross Calling Appeal during the next meeting of the Red Cross Calling committee at the civic centre on Wednesday 11 February.
Casey residents contributed $56,000 to the 2008 appeal and despite economic woes across the world the committee has set its target for 2009 at $57,000.
Throughout my years I have seen Red Cross branches as sleeping tigers.
Many branches and committees are kept alive by people working behind the scenes and mostly people of advanced age working in preparation when all is calm.
But when a crisis occurs, and in my career I have seen a few, these quiet and unassuming people will be among the first on the scene.
The first shift of firefighters to take relief when major fires hit can almost without fail step from a recovery vehicle to be greeted by a Red Cross worker, sandwich and drink in hand, and a cheery hello.
Many of us cannot help in that way.
But some loose change in the bucket when the collectors are out on intersections or when the doorknockers call will mean there will always be a sandwich and a cool drink for those at the first line of battle during fire seasons.
And those coins will mean that a family left with nothing because of a house fire will receive some fresh clothes and a place to stay in the immediate short term.
Service clubs, churches, the Country Fire Authority and many doorknockers have offered their support for the appeal and they have 57,000 good reasons for doing so.
People who would like to help are invited to contact Casey Red Cross Calling chairwoman Norma McCausland on 9707 1576.