Volunteers help disaster recovery effort

MORE than two-hundred volunteers have been working in Rochester since early March to help the community recover from flood damage.

Run by Disaster Relief Australia and NAB Foundation, the initiative is seeing volunteers assist with repairs to three of the area’s schools, as well as homes and other town infrastructure.

NAB Foundation recently pledged in-kind support and a grant of $1 million to the veteran-led DRA, which will boost their capacity to support community projects over the coming two years.

Sustainability executive for NAB Jessica Forrest said it can take a long time for communities to recover from natural disasters.

“That’s why our partnership with DRA is so important to help communities like Rochester, and others across Australia recover from disasters, now and into the future,” she said.

“We’ll have many helping hands in Rochester with over a hundred volunteers from the NAB Foundation Recovery Crew on the ground to help alongside Disaster Relief Australia with important repairs.”

NAB Foundation has committed an additional $100,000 to Rochester Community House to support projects aimed at helping young people to recover from the impact of the floods.