WWQP Bulletin Board Chat

Update ...

D.H and I joined others at the Civil Defense center on Tuesday night. Not many of us have that opportunity so I thought I would share some of the experiences.

We met some wonderful people. The organisation was amazing. Lots of tiresome form filling as people arrived,but nobody seemed to mind. Our church building adapted so well to the needs. We had 89 people sleeping on mattresses in the auditorium. The youth hall became the dining room, the Sunday school rooms housed extra clothing, from foot wear through to undies and top coats. The Pastor's offices were housing the Civil Defense people and other important people (!) The little house in the church grounds became the medical center . The Salvation Army (God bless them) took over the commercial kitchen and provided meals, snacks and drinks throughout the day and night. A father and son quietly moved among the throng of clients and helpers, keeping the floors clean, another team kept the toilets clean .. We had showers and more toilets in the grounds of the church. We had a supervised play area for the children and lots of indoor games. We had security people around and the friendly neighbourhood policemen popped in every hour, on the hour, just to check on our welfare. There was free Internet connection available and a free telephone.

The people staying were mostly a cross section from the poorer areas of Christchurch. Some from Hostels, some from poorly maintained rental properties. They were a cheerful bunch and very appreciative of all that was offered. There were a lot of tattoos and shaven heads visible and it was good to get alongside people who would normally not come into our sphere.... Our duty was to find and make up beds for them when they arrived . Having done that, the next task was to make sure they were warm and not hungry. After that they tended to sit in groups and just talk about their experiences. There were counsellors around and also social welfare people. Locals popped in with food throughout and also a group of young people arrived with their musical instruments . We met and talked to people who are used to dealing with hardship. Single mums with traumatised children. People who have lost their homes and places of employment.. What will happen to them when these shelters close ? That will be the real challenge for the rest of us. This isn't going to be over in a few weeks.

The friends who were staying here have moved further north to the safety of their sons farm. They hope to be back in their home next week when the water is reconnected. Their home is badly damaged and many around them have lost their homes. I think they are being over-optimistic, the roads approaching their property have deep cracks in them and sunken edges. I found the drive up there terrifying.. They know they can return here at any time. DH and I are leaving today for a few days in Auckland. It's DH's Bday on Saturday and we planned, many weeks ago, to spend it with the family up there. We return on Monday. Actually, it seems presumptuous to have any plans these days...

I look forward to reading the Louise Penny books . !! They sound as if they would hold my attention if I get the chance to sit down.

A lovely day here today, though Autumn is really in the air early mornings. For those of you in the northern hemisphere, enjoy Spring ...you've waited long enough for it this year !

Best wishes to all.
Marion.

posted by Marion in NZ. @ 4:54 PM