Temple SES donation
With flood waters climbing and communities becoming increasingly isolated, the unmistakable bright orange of the SES volunteers became a beacon of hope.
The tireless efforts of the Logan SES have been acknowledged after receiving a $10,000 donation from the Buddha’s Light International Association of Queensland (BLIAQ) Loving Care Group.
Receiving the cheque from Abbess Manwang at the Chung Tian Temple in Priestdale, Logan SES Controller Jim Ferguson and City of Logan Mayor Darren Power, relived some of the dramatic moments of the worst flooding in the city since 1974.
‘The SES were out all night and day, saving lives and providing essentials to stranded families,’ Cr Power says.
‘They don’t get paid a cent and dedicate their time to helping others without any complaints. They provided an amazing service in a very difficult time right across the city.
‘I can’t speak highly enough of our SES and Logan can’t do without them. This donation from the Temple’s Loving Care Group goes to show just how caring our community is.’
Logan SES volunteered 3000 hours across 656 shifts and attended to more than 1000 call-outs during the floods. They also provided 12,000 sand bags.
Mr Ferguson says the donation would greatly assist the SES to help bolster capacity.
‘All of our 160 members are exhausted and they just kept going to make sure they reached everyone in need,’ Mr Ferguson says.
‘This generous donation from the temple will assist with our recruiting so we can increase our membership.
‘We also want to acknowledge and say thank you to our volunteers by handing out some awards to honour their commitment.’
Abbess Manwang says BLIA World Headquarters had supported their fundraising efforts.
‘We want to spread out the good things, our Buddhism expands wide and we want to offer gratitude to all of the people supporting the flood recovery,’ the Abbess says.
‘People have experienced difficult times. This donation to the SES will help them and is a token of our appreciation.’
More than 80 children from the BLIAQ scouts held fundraising events and the Temple hosted a morning tea to thank those involved in the flood recovery, including Queensland Fire and Emergency Services.
Logan City Council continues to support flood victims through a flood recovery package and its collaboration with State and Federal Government assistance programs.
Support is still be available through the Community Recovery Hotline – 1800 173 349 – or online at Community Recovery.
An extensive list of contact information to support community well-being and the local recovery is also available on the Logan City Council website.
