Caring group celebrates a big milestone

HODDLES Creek Red Cross members celebrated 40 years of existence and valuable service last Sunday, 22 November.
Since forming in 1969, the Hoddles Creek branch has worked towards helping the most vulnerable people in need, at a local, national and international level.
Chairman Ted Clarke has been a member of the Red Cross for 25 years.
He said the Hoddles Creek branch was consistently successful in raising a large amount of funding for the humanitarian organisation.
“The dedicated group has raised $14,000 this year — just from making jam and cakes!” said Mr Clarke.
He said the dedication of the members and social side of the Hoddles Creek Red Cross branch helped in its success.
While Hoddles Creek Red Cross members can be found at most community events behind a jam, craft or cake stall; fundraising isn’t their only function.
Hoddles Creek Red Cross members played an integral role during the recent bushfires, as well as the 1983 and 1962 bushfires that hit the region.
Mr Clarke recalls his time at the Municipal Emergency Coordination Centre (MECC), located in the shire offices.
He said he was one of three members stationed in the MECC for six to eight hours a day, every day, until the end of February.
Hoddles Creek members also helped serve 24,000 meals to bushfire affected resident and emergency service worker at Yarra Glen, Healesville, Don Valley and Lilydale relief centres and helped register more than 2,000 people who had been displaced due to the fires.
The Police Victoria Award it received for ‘outstanding support’ during the bushfire period was added to a collection of accolades the branch has received over the years.
“Hoddles Creek Red Cross will continue on and probably expand in many ways in the future,” he said.