Disaster Recovery

The Centre has a long history with disaster recovery and works towards supporting disaster affected communities through activities that they identify. We also provide financial/practical assistance. Disaster we have been involved in:

• 2001/02 Black Christmas fires that ravaged NSW and the ACT from the mountains to the coast, a fire in the Glenbrook-Warrimoo area destroyed 20 homes;
• January 1994 -Hawkesbury Heights/Blue Mountains;
• Midday on 17 October 2013 Winmalee/Yellow Rock bushfires destroyed 195 houses and damaged a further 146 buildings in the small communities.  A significant amount of destruction occurred in the initial hours of the fire around Buena Vista Rd., Emma Pde., Heather Glen Rd., Moray St. and Purvines Rd. A number of houses were also destroyed in Paulwood Ave., close to St Thomas Acquinas Primary School which was evacuated to Winmalee Shopping Centre and destruction also occurred on Singles Ridge Rd., where the children of Rainbow Pre-School were evacuated and the playground destroyed;
• 2019/20-Black Summer was one of the most intense and catastrophic fire seasons on record in Australia. The Centre undertook recovery in the Hawkesbury, Blue Mountains, Lithgow and Mid and Central West regions;
• In 2020 we saw the COVID pandemic change the face of how we operated. Through the lockdowns, as an essential service, the Centre remained open and assisted with financial and practical help; and
• The March 2022 flood was the largest since 1978. More than 634 millimetres fell in the Hawkesbury-Nepean in 14 days in late February and early March. The area was slammed by five floods between February 2020 and July 2022. A year after the March flood, residents are still feeling the impact and the Centre continues to support those who are still recovering.

Programs that we have initiated over the years have assisted in rebuilding connections and resilience. These include: Art in the Park (Yellow Rock Mosaic project), Business Supporting Community, Plant a Thought, Art of Recovery, Planting the Seeds of Recovery, Weeds After Bushfire, Women Skilled and Ready, Phoenix Wellbeing, Leadlight, Women in Disasters, Beeing One with Your Community, Culinary Communities, Women's Financial workshops, Essential voucher program i.e. Bunnings/Coles/KMart etc, Unfinished Business, Stories of Hope, Bringing Back the Birds, Children's Play Area, Rising from the Ashes, and along with these projects we have auspiced over 15 community grants where community members have applied for a grant and need an incorporated association, (Indigenous Cool Burning, Meeting By the River etc).

A handbook with an NRMA grant Emergency Readiness-Experiences of Pre-Schools During the 2013 Winmalee/Yellow Rock Bushfire. This booklet retold the experiences of Rainbow, Lizzards, and Winmalee Preschools along with Family Day Care, Bunya Child Care, Red Cross, RFS, and Ben Curran.

The NSW government-Education https://education.nsw.gov.au/early-childhood-education/operating-an-early-childhood-education-service/current-service-providers/emergency-Emergency Planning, Management, Response and Recovery contains resources and templates designed and intended for early childhood education and care (ECEC) services, such as long day cares, family day cares, preschools, outside school hours care (OSHC) and occasional care. For primary or high school, please refer to the Emergency Management page for schools.