The 2020 bushfires raged through the close-knit community of Quaama in the Bega Valley Shire. The fires impacted many families and led to the loss of several homes and buildings, including the historic St Saviours Anglican Church, which had stood for over a century.
Today, while still recovering from the full impact of the fires, the Quaama community is purposefully coming together to increase their resilience and preparedness for future disasters.
Anglicare’s Supporting Spontaneous Volunteers Program (SVVP), generously funded by NSW Reconstruction Authority, is assisting the Quaama community to turn their plans into action. Through months of community consultation, a locally relevant theme emerged from the voices of Quaama residents. Overall, awareness of disaster risk has grown, yet many community members shared that they still felt unprepared to respond effectively during an emergency.
That insight inspired a One-Pot Emergency Cooking Workshop—a hands-on, practical session aimed at building confidence and resilience in a simple but powerful way, by cooking, camp-style, one-pot meals together.
Led by community volunteers from the Quaama Hall Committee and Progress Association, and supported by Anglicare SVVP Coordinator Von Hutcheson, the workshop saw 12 residents come together to cook three nutritious one-pot meals using single-flame camping stoves. No outside experts were brought in; instead, skills and knowledge from within the community were celebrated and shared — a true “by the community, for the community” approach.
Held at the Quaama Hall, the session wrapped up with a shared lunch and vibrant conversation. Participants said they gained practical tools to face emergencies such as natural disasters or power outages with greater confidence — and enjoyed every minute of it.
Beyond the cooking, the event strengthened social bonds, inspired local leadership, and nurtured the idea that spontaneous volunteering doesn’t just happen during a crisis — it begins with connections and shared contributions that build resilience every day.
To ensure ongoing wellbeing and access to support, the NSW Health Recovery Clinician for the Bega Valley Shire also joined the session, offering a valuable presence for individual mental health support.
This event was a beautiful reminder of the strength that comes from working together — and of the vital role local knowledge and connection play in preparing for whatever may come next.
