Last night, ADRA volunteers travelled to some of the worst affected communities to register people for cash assistance and to provide Psychological First Aid. The team also provided slabs of UP&GO, sports drinks, and muesli bars to CFA crews. John Smilek reflects on the relief efforts.

“Last night, Sue, Janine, and I drove into the fire-scarred areas of Alexandra and Yarck in central Victoria, following the devastating Longwood bushfires from last week.

“We passed through two police checkpoints into an eerily silent, blackened landscape. There were no civilian cars on the roads, just the occasional Country Fire Authority (CFA) truck and emergency vehicle cutting through the darkness. We observed flickering spot fires in the paddocks and fires burning on adjacent hills, with smoke thickly hanging in the air and occasional tree stumps glowing red-hot at their centres.

“The CFA had organised a barbecue for the affected locals, bringing people together after so much loss, and we felt truly privileged to be invited. While connecting with folks there, we noticed the fire had come right up to the very edge of the hall we were meeting in—the grounds scorched, the threat so close, yet the building stood as a vital gathering place amid the devastation.

“We quickly connected with several families, registered those who needed help, and listened to their stories.”

“Some had lost everything. Their faces carried that distant, shell-shocked expression of profound grief. Others, whose homes had miraculously survived, spoke quietly through tears of survivor’s guilt, weighed down by the pain of neighbours who weren’t so fortunate. It was humbling beyond words to stand in their presence, witnessing both their raw vulnerability and extraordinary resilience up close.

“As the crowd slowly dispersed – many heading back to the long task of rebuilding – we drove home, arriving just before midnight with hearts full, grateful for the small chance to show up and support in any way we could.

“To everyone still recovering in these communities: you’re not alone. The road ahead is tough, but the strength and kindness we’ve seen gives real hope.”

To support ADRA’s response to the Victorian bushfires, please donate at adra.org.au/disaster.