The organisation is probably best known for the Blood Service, which is funded entirely by the governments of Australia. However, there are many more strings to the Red Cross bow. People of all ages are assisted with access to healthy food through programs such as the Good Start Breakfast Clubs for schoolchildren, community gardens, Meals on Wheels and Soup Patrol. Another invaluable program is Telecross, which involves Red Cross volunteers phoning elderly and/or isolated members of the community early each morning, every morning to ascertain their state of health. In 2014, an extension of this program, called Telechat, was introduced. As opposed to the Telecross short call, Telechat clients are called once a week for a long chat.

Y Challenge is a program which assists those aged 8-17 to complete youth-led community projects within their school or community. For younger children there is Junior Red Cross, and in this region we are fortunate to have such a group flourishing at Rye Park Public School.

Red Cross has an ongoing commitment to supporting people in most need. This includes the problem of homelessness in Australia, which is particularly rife amongst the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders. It also includes the Migrant Support Program.

The Emergency Services arm of Red Cross assists Australians to prepare for, respond to and recover from emergencies. In the event of an emergency they are there, giving practical support where needed. One example is the Victorian bushfires for which the Red Cross was asked by the Victorian Government to coordinate the public appeal. Funds raised were then distributed by that government.

In an overseas disaster, such as the recent Cyclone Pam in Vanuatu, the presence of the Australian Red Cross is felt. More than $6 million dollars was raised before the closure of the appeal, which was due to the fact that sufficient funds had been received to help families with such essentials as emergency shelter, relief supplies, safe water, sanitation and health care. This represented the contribution by the Australian Red Cross to the humanitarian response led by the Government of Vanuatu. Should the funds raised exceed the amount required to meet the immediate and longer-term needs of the people in the affected areas, Australian Red Cross will direct the excess funds to disaster management in the region.

In this year, the Centenary of Gallipoli, we remember that the Red Cross Movement originated out of a great need for assistance during a time of war. That was in 1859 in Switzerland and was the catalyst for the Geneva Convention. The originator of the Movement, Henri Dunant, was the recipient of the first Nobel Prize for Peace in 1901. This was followed by recognition, with the same award, of the humanitarian work of Red Cross on three more occasions in the intervening years.

Since then the presence of the Red Cross has been prominent in all wars, including Vietnam. Last year, the Centenary of Australian Red Cross, the Rye Park-Boorowa Branch celebrated by entering a float in the Woolfest Parade in Boorowa. Both WW1 and WW2 uniforms were worn by members on the float.

This year, we are commemorating the Centenary of Gallipoli by mounting a Red Cross display in the former NRMA building in Marsden Street. The centrepiece is the same WW1 uniform which appeared last year. Branch members will also be marching behind the Australian Red Cross banner on ANZAC Day.

In closing, I would like to thank the people of Boorowa and district for their wonderful generosity in supporting our annual Red Cross Calling campaign in March.

Joan Birnie

Honorary Secretary

Rye Park-Boorowa Branch

Australian Red Cross