EMERGENCY and health workers, carers and volunteers were celebrated at a ‘Thank You Service’ organised by the combined churches of Tea Gardens on Sunday 18 May.
Weeks of on-and-off wet weather caused the “Hope25” event to be moved from its originally planned location along the Tea Gardens waterfront, into St Andrews Church on Ogden Street.
Anglican reverend Richard Goscombe welcomed volunteers of the Rural Fire Service (RFS), State Emergency Service, Tea Gardens Lions, Marine Rescue, Red Cross, caring organisations, and emergency response workers from Tea Gardens Fire & Rescue, Police and Ambulance.
The service, the first of its kind locally in several years, was conducted in front of a candlelit anchor to symbolise the way these key community figures keep us grounded in times of despair.
Rev. Goscombe interviewed Pindimar-Tea Gardens RFS Captain David Bright, who has held that role for seven years of his much longer RFS volunteer career, after moving to town more than 40 years ago.
“We live in one of the best parts of the best country in the world, all these volunteers work hard to keep it beautiful and safe,” Captain Bright said.
“The local RFS has only 11 active responders, with an average age of 63, including Peter Plain, who has given 49 years of extremely enthusiastic service, and Nathan Hawes, 18, who just officially qualified to join this month.”
Rev. Goscombe spoke to the importance of volunteers in the community.
“In this ‘Age of Entitlement’, the trends in our society seem to make it hard to get volunteers,” he said.
“The appropriate response from us for those who sacrifice is gratitude that we can live free in a country like this.
“Gratitude is the opposite of the entitlement concept, the idea that ‘I am going to put myself second’, which is what our community volunteers all do.
“Their generous gifts of time and talent enrich our community, particularly for those who care for loved ones at home, often unseen and unsung in their service.”
Tea Gardens Public School students Grace and Kaitlyn led a prayer for the volunteers, carers and emergency workers, followed by Bible readings (Philippians 2:3-11 and Corinthians 13:1-7, 13).
Local choral group the Myall Melodians led the room in singing hymns and the Lord’s Prayer, followed by a delicious afternoon tea while the heavens wept outside.
By Thomas O’KEEFE
