RHETT BURNIE
AN award-winning crisis response group is facin
g an uncertain future because they are unable to find a home for their organisation.
Members of Freedom Relief, which formed just one day after the February 2009 Black Saturday Bushfires, have been on the hunt for a headquarters since they were asked to vacate the old Wallan Police Station when it was sold earlier this year.
The group was using the station as a central base where fire-affected people could collect food packages and receive pastoral care.
Freedom Relief’s Bec Lawson said having a base, such as a shopfront or house, would allow the team to continue to support local people and offer more services to the wider community.
“We don’t make a profit so we don’t have the money to afford to rent a shopfront or house,” she said.
Ms Lawson said the State Government’s decision to withdraw a number of case workers from fire-affected areas meant Freedom Relief would be further relied upon by members of the community.
“A lot of case workers are finishing up and these people still need our help,” Ms Lawson said.
“What we are finding is that these people are still in need of support and we need them to know we are still here.”
The group also helps people experiencing non-bushfire related adversity, she said.
Ms Lawson said the group had spent months lobbying for assistance to find a home but had not been successful.
She said she had even written to Prime Minister Julia Gillard and the Victorian Premier, John Brumby, and while Ms Gillard had responded, she had not received a reply from Mr Brumby.
“If we had a building we will be able to help a lot more people, they will be able to come in and talk,” Ms Lawson said.
“It is also a good way to put these people in contact with each other, someone that understands what they are going through."
Since its implementation, the group has worked tirelessly to provide food packages and other necessities to more than 200 bushfire-affected families in the Mitchell, Murrindindi and Whittlesea shires.
Ms Lawson said some people who had relied on Freedom Relief thought the group was no longer operating.
“We need them to know we are still here,” she said.
Freedom Church Pastor Mitchael Curtis said the Freedom Relief group could offer more services if they had a permanent space to use.
“If we can acquire a space that’s bigger than just a room we’ll be able to offer a greater range of services,” Pastor Curtis said.
He said the group is currently working out of a garage, which limited the amount of services they could offer as they only work as a mobile relief team.
He said Freedom Relief would continue to help as many people as possible who “are having a rough time.”
Member for Seymour Ben Hardman said he had been attempting to assist Freedom Relief in finding funding for accommodation for the group.
Mr Hardman said he had met with the Freedom Relief and had formally written to the Victorian Bushfire Recovery and Reconstruction Authority and the Premier in early June asking for assistance in finding accommodation.
"I have been trying to put them in contact with people who may be able to help and will continue working on this,” he said.
Mr Hardman added that a reply was received from the then Chair of VBRRA, Christine Nixon, in July inviting Freedom Relief to contact VBRRA's Donations Team to discuss possible philanthropic support for their work and providing contact details.
Meanwhile, Ms Lawson said the group remained focused on obtaining accommodation.
She said the group is looking for local businesses that could provide sponsorship to them or provide accommodation.
“If anyone has an empty shop or house that we could use, that would be amazing,” Ms Lawson said.
People wishing to donate non-perishable goods, toiletries or clothing to Freedom Relief or those that can help can supply accommodation for the group, can contact Freedom Relief Co-ordinator Karin Kostas on 0403 405 483.






