The Recovery Effort Is Not Over

Rows of donated goods line the warehouse of the former Mitsubishi building on Johnson Street.

Volunteers are continuing to sort clothing onto racks ten weeks after January's blaze. Volunteers say the recovery effort is not over.

"People have said 'surely everybody is sorted by now,' I just think you cannot be serious," distribution centre organiser Tania Butterworth said.

The centre is seeing between 15 to 20 families and individuals a day, servicing around 40 households a week. Volunteers say that the centre is still seeing people come through who have suffered great losses, reaching out for the first time since January.

The centre focuses on providing a listening ear and understanding the needs of fire-affected residents. The old display area of the store now homes what Tania has dubbed 'little David Jones.' A space for people to browse clothing and toys set up to look like a local op shop. Equipped with a craft room, organised extensively by the dedicated volunteers with wools, and needles, and patchworking. Piles of handmade quilts and blankets from knitting and craft have also been donated.

"We always need more," Tania said.

Over the ten weeks, more than 150 volunteers have given their time to the centre. Now, due to many volunteers needing to return to work, as well as to create a structure and a sense of normality, the centre will only be open two days a week.

Stacy Baselli and Donna McMahon are some of the dedicated volunteers who have been there from the start.

"People are coming away better than they came in," Stacy said.

Volunteers say the recovery effort is taking a toll with some residents telling them, "it feels like years."

As winter approaches, the need for support at the centre continues, the distribution centre is calling for new donations to service the community. Some people only had "whatever shoes were on their feet" when the fires occurred, volunteers told the Mail.

Fire victims are living in sheds, in-between housing, and many families have been separated, with some people still unable to renter parts of Harcourt that were heavily burnt. Boots and heavy-duty shoes are in high demand as rainfall increases, allowing some autonomy to return to those affected.

"People are not okay at the end of the day," Tania Butterworth said.

Distribution Centre wish list:

• Gum boots
• Warm, solid shoes (Blundstones, Steel blue)
• Wet weather gear (raincoats, windbreakers, thick jackets)
• Men's clothes in sizes S,M,L due to an influx of XXL+ sizes
• Vouchers from local businesses
• New Air Fryers
• New Hair dryers
• Vacuums
• Bucket and mops
• Saucepans
• Hoses
• Irons
• New winter doonas
• New linen
• New electric blankets

The new hours for the Distribution Centre at 5 Johnstone St Castlemaine, are: Monday and Wednesday from 10am to 1pm.