Baking 4 Roma

What a totally amazing week I've had! While horrific flooding has inundated the town I live in for the third year running I have had the pleasure of witnessing a small country town commuity pulling together to help those worst effected by the flood.

My idea of coordinating a Baked Relief effort here in Roma called Baking 4 Roma on Facebook,  took off in a HUGE way and it has been one of the most amazing experiences of my life. Through the Baking 4 Roma Facebook page my friend Janet and I coordinated a week long effort of baking, sorting and delivering home baked goods.

Volunteers hard at it at the RSL hall on Monday!

 Me in the background telling them all what to do!!

Volunteers packaging baked goodies ready for delivery!

We had men and women making sandwiches, volunteers dropping of individually wrapped baked goods and even more volunteers driving the hot, smelly, muddy streets offering people cleaning their homes and their helpers cold water, a sandwich and some baked goodies. The response from the community has been wonderful. Janet delivered to one gentleman on Wednesday and as she offered him a muffin, he burst into tears. I think the amazing part is that it has simply shown people who were flooded that those of us who were lucky enough to not get water in our homes were doing what we could to help.

At the Lions Den on Wednesday after some serious challenges on Tuesday.

Sponsorship by the Roma Lions club meant we could continue providing

sandwiches as well as water and baked goodies.

On both Thursday and Friday we had enough home baking to send these

9 boxes, bags and eskys to the Mitchell residents!

 

Welcome to Roma, at this point the bridge into town was submerged.

Down the road from my house during the flood and after, this car was

left on the corner of Miscamble and Northern roads - the usual place to

park your car if you are trying to sell it privately. The owner moved it to

higher ground but was not allowed back to move it again as the water

rose even higher.

The heartbreaking job of throwing out ones possessions.

This was the largest pile we saw. Brought tears to my eyes.

Delivering a boot full of food the the Mitchell Retirement Village.

I have had several phone calls from journalists and have decided to tell the Baking 4 Roma story, not for money or recognition of us in particular, but to raise awareness of what a community is capable of when they pull together in times of need. I am so proud to have been part of it all.

Emily xoxo