This month, children at Windsor Park Public School will learn to prepare for weather-related disaster season ahead of summer through the Australian Red Cross Pillowcase workshop, an initiative supported by Australia Post.
Primary school students in high-risk disaster locations across Australia will learn practical skills like what to pack for an emergency and how to prepare their minds for the thoughts and feelings that may arise before, during and after a disaster.
They will bring home important educational resources from the workshop - including emergency kit pillowcases supplied by Australia Post.
Australia Post General Manager of Community and Stakeholder Engagement, Nicky Tracey, said that Australia Post's unique presence in regional and remote Australian communities meant it was important to contribute to, and support, disaster resilience.
"Working in every community across Australia, our team members are often at the frontline of disaster. We see firsthand how a disaster can affect a community, and we want to do what we can to provide support.
"Australia is likely to face more dry, hot summers in the coming years so our work with Australian Red Cross on Pillowcase is especially critical. The workshops and resources will give children in high-risk areas the practical skills in the event of extreme weather like bushfires.
"Pillowcase workshops help more than 6,000 young Australians in high-risk areas every year to prepare for a major disaster before they are in the thick of one."
Antonia Mackay, Resilience Manager, Australian Red Cross said: "Children are positive change agents within their families and their communities. If given the opportunity to participate, they can make a very real and positive difference before, during and after an emergency.
"Children who participate in disaster resilience strengthening activities, like Pillowcase workshops, have been shown to be better equipped to deal with an emergency."
In support of Australian Red Cross' EmergencyRedi campaign, a 'Prepare' flyer featuring key preparedness tips is being delivered by Australia Post to over 3 million households in local government areas across Australia at high-risk of being impacted by disaster, including Lismore (NSW), Ballarat (VIC), Bundaberg (QLD), Port Headland (WA) and 221 additional locations.
To support Australians impacted by disaster, donate to Australian Red Cross at participating Post Offices, or at the checkout on the Australia Post Online Shop. For more information, visit auspost.com.au/disaster.
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Media contact:
Morgan Griffin, Public Relations Advisor, Australia Post
M: 0459 703 383
About Australia Post: As Australia's postal service for more than 215 years, we're at the heart of every community. Last financial year we delivered more than 2.5 billion items to 12.7 million delivery points. Australia Post has one of the largest retail networks nationally, with more than 4,000 Post Offices. Australia Post employs people of all ages, genders, and abilities in our extended workforce of more than 63,000 team members, reflective of the diverse communities we operate in. We are proud to be included in the inaugural Indigenous Employment Index with 3 per cent of our workforce identifying as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander and we are one of the largest Australian employers to be certified as a Disability Confident Recruiter.
About Australian Red Cross: Australian Red Cross is part of the world's largest humanitarian organisation. As an organisation independent of government and with no political, religious or cultural affiliations, we bring people and communities together in times of need and build on community strengths. We do this by mobilising the power of humanity and through our core areas of expertise including Emergency Services, Migration Support, International Humanitarian Law, Community Programs and working with other Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies to build their capacity and respond to humanitarian emergencies overseas.
