Gaining the initiative
When times get tough, as they most definitely are at the moment, we all need hope and a belief that there are organisations and individuals out there who will support us in our time of need. The current COVID-19 environment is unprecedented in our time and perhaps only our grandparents would fully comprehend such a time in the past.
A labour of love and respect, Dion Cowdray, acting CEO of the XMRC packs items for delivery to our most needy veterans.
Social distancing, self-isolation, limitations on travel and reduced access to life’s basic essentials can be a very scary time for some of our veteran community, particularly the elderly and those with medical conditions that make them vulnerable to infection. We are having to rely on technology more than ever to cope with this environment. For some of our senior veterans this can be a daunting, stressful and anxious time as they grapple with a limited knowledge of technology and the confines of their own home in isolation from their community. Many of the grocery stores now have home delivery services as do a number of pharmacies, but what if you don’t have access to the technology for online ordering or have an inherent fear of the internet? How do you manage with day to day access to the basic necessities and who is out there to assist? The bonds of brotherhood within the veteran community remain strong and none more evident than the Ex-Military Rehabilitation Centre (XMRC) located in the northern suburbs of Adelaide adjacent to the Edinburgh Defence Precinct. The centre forms part of the Peter Badcoe VC Complex along with the northern subbranch of the Vietnam Veterans Association who are co-located on the site. The XMRC has been around for almost three decades in one form or another and has at its core the values of mateship, welfare and support for all veterans and their families. In these uncertain times the newly appointed Acting CEO, Dion Cowdray, an East Timor veteran, has stepped up to take the initiative and develop a home delivery service for our elderly, socially isolated and vulnerable veterans living in the northern suburbs. In order to sustain the service Dion has established a supply chain through the local Munno Para Foodland, SA Quality Meats and Simply Fresh with the development of a basic care package consisting of everyday groceries, milk, bread and a meat tray. This service includes a rigorous personal hygiene regimen from start to finish to ensure the protection of both volunteer and veteran with a door to door delivery service that will expand to include the pickup and delivery of personal medications. To our knowledge there are no other organisations conducting such a service for the veteran community in South Australia, and we commend Dion and his team at the XMRC for the outstanding dedication to our vulnerable and isolated veterans. This service commenced using the XMRC’s own funds and has since been supplemented by a grant from Veterans SA, a donation from veteran charity Friends Of the Veterans Association (FOVA) and more recently personal donations for the veteran community. If you would like to donate, volunteer or if you or any South Australian veteran you know of are in need of such support you can contact Dion and the team on Tel: (08) 8252 0500, on their face book page “Ex-Military Rehabilitation Centre Inc.” or by email at office@xmrc.com.au. To find out more about the organisation please visit their website at www.xmrc.com.au
