The Forgotten people of Warrawong

 I've spent a couple of days giving out financial assistance for storm and flood affected people in Warrawong, which is a depressed area of Wollongong, an hour or so south of where I live.

A storm came through about 9 days ago and the Wollongong area was hard hit. 

The people coming for assistance were different to other groups I've seen. The majority of people seeking help live in old public housing which has not been maintained. Their faces show the marks of not just a bad weather event but lifetimes of hardship. Some of them have very obviously given up.

There was flooding which came from the huge volumes of water rising into homes but there was also a great deal of storm damage where roofs leaked, guttering overflowed into the roof or water made it's way through a poorly sealed window or wall.

At least two women told me that they had recently been homeless and were looking forward to being settled in a home they could invite children or grandchildren to. Now those hopes have to be put on hold while they wait for the housing authority to put in new flooring or repairs and for the women themselves to  replace furniture, clothes and bedding.

One man who had lost his wallet sat down and while we tried to figure out a way to confirm his ID. I commented on the scar on his head. I meant the large scar on the back of his head (it came from somebody hitting him with a post) but he thought I meant the one along his hairline. Somebody drove over his head like it was a speed hump and his face had to be peeled back so his eye sockets could be reconstructed. The guy left home at 17 when his stepfather tried to kill him.

I think I have some understanding of poverty and disadvantage until I meet people like this. It's hard to see so many people who are injured, traumatised, toothless and strung out. 

The system assesses people based on their level of loss but in this kind of community, they don't have much to lose so they don't qualify for a lot of help. I'm not sure how to design the system better. I don't think the answer is in changing the disaster grants, I think it's in looking after people better over the long term.

Most people receive a grant that is enough money to assist with a replacement fridge or a cheap mattress. My partner told me a total loss qualifies for a larger payment so when a homeless man came in and said all his possessions were stored under a house and got washed away I thought he qualified for the larger amount. I hesitated to approve the amount, knowing he'll probably do something self destructive with the money but I also thought it's not up to me to determine the outcome. I later found out the larger grant is not for "total loss" but for people whose home is condemned. The devil is in the detail, right?

I'll feel pretty silly about that for a long time.

If it hasn't hit your favourite news outlet, Molly the Magpie is going to be returned to his home. I think there are some hoops for his guardians to jump through first but he will get there.

Peggy and Molly

 

Molly the Magpie fell from the nest as a wee thing. The owners of the property where he was found hand raised him (and yes, Molly is a "he" but I guess it was a case of the name sticking before the gender was determined)

The dog, Peggy, was so protective, so enchanted, so bonded that she lactated as a response to the fledgling.

I stumbled across the story some time ago and have enjoyed their antics via Instagram for some time now. 

Molly barks like a staffy, walks on Peggy, cleans her ears, plays with toys, steals toys........

And the delight just goes on.

Molly has grown up and is now an adult bird, allowed to fly free and enjoy life in the trees. He is not quite wild but he lives independently, making his own choice to visit the family he grew up in.

Somehow, the Queensland Department of Science and Industry has decided that Molly can't live on the property of his birth and rescue. He has been "surrendered" to the department and taken away. 

I'm generally not a fan of anthropomorphism but in this case I genuinely believe that he could take a nose dive and die of a broken heart.

Molly's caretakers are asking for the public to protest and I fully expect that there will be an uprising of people on behalf of this little bird and his adopted flock.

For a brief second I thought it was sad that people won't make the same outcry about much bigger problems but this is the nature of things. 

I have signed protests, donated money and written to governments about all kinds of things, never really expecting my voice to make any difference but I believe that a movement of people in support of Peggy and Molly might actually work. There are no powerful lobby groups involved, no deep corporate pockets, hopefully no corrupt politicians and no ngreat riches to gain by removing a bird from his chosen habitat. This is a battle that just might be won. 

Peggy and Molly bring joy to thousands of people around the world and that can only be a good thing.

Love you, TTS

I'm trying to think of a pseudonym for my friend but I can't think of one. She often signs things with her initials TTS so we'll run with that.

TTS moved from Sydney to somewhere in Scotland 18 years ago. Since then she's moved to Nottingham and now to Wales. She's a long way away but she's been here on what she called the Elderly Mother Mission.

Going to have coffee with her (and her hubby and Caitlin) today, I put on the pink shirt I bought for Valentines Day which arrived on the 15th. I had olive green pants on, creating a favourite combo of mine but there was nothing to tie the two together.

"Do I have a scarf that would make this into an outfit?" I said to Caitlin. 

"Dunno Mum"

I looked at my scarf hanger and there were in fact TWO pink and green scarves. One bright, one a lot more subtle.

"Of course I have a pink and green scarf, do I even know who I am?" I said

"Apparently not"

There was a lot of silliness and it took a lot of takes to get the photo but it was worth it.