Njernda steps up to support communities

By Adair Winder

Oct 31, 2022

Helping hand: Pastor Ronald Stobie hands over sleeping bags and blankets to Njernda chief executive Tracey Dillon, director corporate services Robert Nugent and executive director family services Aunty Hazel Hudson. Photo by Contributed

Njernda Aboriginal Corporation has been working around the clock to ensure First Nations community members have everything they need in the event they become displaced.

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Insect repellent, water, food and sleeping bags are among items staff have been collecting and distributing into communities.

Njernda chief executive Tracey Dillon said in conjunction with equipping themselves, they had also been focusing on community outreach.

She explained they had been using regular staff, counsellors and psychologists to check in on people’s welfare.

“We’re making sure that we are contacting everybody in our community on a regular basis,” Ms Dillon said.

“It’s really important to reach out to vulnerable community members because anxiety and depression can set in and that’s why we need to be having these conversations with them about their mental health.

“Especially when we are dealing with some who have previously experienced significant trauma.”

Ms Dillon explained that many within their community had looked towards Njernda for emergency advice.

This has meant the organisation has had to adapt to being an intermediary between emergency services and the general public for the dissemination of information.

While Njernda staff have dedicated much of their time to community outreach, they have also been out on the ground, protecting their homes and the homes of their loved ones.

Ms Dillon said she was proud that staff had still shown up, despite facing their own challenges.

“We can’t be everywhere and everything to everyone, but we try,” Ms Dillon said.

And try, they certainly have.

The organisation has supported community members in every aspect of their lives, from welfare checks to preparing their facilities, in case their facilities have to be used as sites for temporary accommodation.

Njernda staff even stepped into the kitchen and cooked up meals for the community, during the early flood warning stage.

Meals were then distributed to community members as a source of comfort.

Ms Dillon said Njernda had been trying to create a sense of normalcy for people overwhelmed by the current flood crisis.

“We have an all-staff meeting every morning, with close to 150 staff, and one of the topics that frequently comes up is about people not having that stability and normalcy,” she said.

“We are trying to bring that normalcy back to our workforce and the way that we operate by allowing staff, who are currently not working in their regular roles, to continue working and perform outreach duties, if they want to.”

Njernda re-opened its office doors to the public on Monday.

Staff have asked for patience as their operations return to normal.

Njernda has urged anyone experiencing mental health or general health issues to phone the office on 5480 6252.