​Born in country Victoria I moved to Sydney when I was 28 (following a divorce), as a single mother,​ I worked in corporate life as an Executive Assistant (mainly to CEO's)  (Lumleys, Barclays Bank, The House of Dunhill in London, AMP, Societe Generale in New York, Mastercard, CatholicCare) - so I am ultra organised!

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But along the way I had some ..... life changers (yes, changeRs, not changes):​ In March 2001 my husband was transferred to New York City by his employer.  We found a lovely apartment in Battery Park City - one block from the World Trade Centres.  We were out of town on September 11, but became displaced (as our apartment was within the Ground Zero zone) for many many weeks.  When we were allowed back, Red Cross was there to greet us.  I cried for a week or two, cleaned up the foot thick dust in our apartment, then decided to stop feeling sorry for myself and went downstairs and told the Red Cross I "want to help".  So I joined the American Red Cross, did a course, and became a Caseworker working with the victims.  I worked with the victims fulltime for the next six months until only qualified social workers were permitted to remain.  This period changed my life.  



On our return to Sydney in 2003 I joined the Australian Red Cross, firstly in their disaster services teams but, as it was quiet and I did not get called on to help with anything, I joined the VAD (Volunteer First Aid teams) providing first aid at community events ..... surf carnivals, AFL, rugby, soccer, corporate games etc. – I was appointed Team Leader of my First Aid team in 2006 and of my Disaster team in 2005.​

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Disasters covered: Evacuee repatriation, Newcastle floods (drove to Newcastle - knocked door to door), Blacktown Hail disaster (knocking door to door), setup an Evacuation centre for neighbourhood evacuation in Woollahra, manned Evacuation centre for Eastgate evacuation following gas explosion, Victorian Bushfires  & NSW floods (manned the emergency phones at Police HQ in Goulburn St - was working fulltime so did the night shifts), Queensland floods 2011 (flew to Qld and was Team Leader at the Relief Centre in Dalby, north west of Toowoomba), March 2012 - Griffith floods - flown to Griffith to help & run support in the Recovery Centre and do Outreach (door knocking), March 2013 manned emergency phones for floods in Qld & Northern NSW, flown to Bundaberg March 2013 - Team Leader in evacuation centre (tent city) and helped resettle displaced evacuees into more permanent accommodation, provided outreach and logistics, March 2015 flown to Rockhampton to help with Cyclone Marcia flood relief, 2019 flown to Townsville to help with flood relief, manned Police emergency phone line for NSW fires Nov 2019, then drove to Cobargo, NSW to help with the South Coast fire relief in January 2020 - Relief Centre and Outreach, 2023 Emergency repatriation response team (no activations during Covid March 2020-2022).

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In Nov. 2009 Red Cross decided that community first aid was no longer part of their Strategic Plan so disbanded the first aid teams.  My team of five knew there was still a need for our services out there in our communities, so we set up (after a lot of work and personal cost - insurances etc.) a Not-for-Profit - Community First Aid Sydney Inc.  We currently provide first aid at "mum and dad" "community" events throughout Sydney: we cover every Leichhardt Soccer season, the Bondi Blitz U-18's music festival, Retirement & Lifestyle Expo at Rose Hill, Sydney Secondary College  Music Band Day in Newtown, the Rozelle Neighbourhood Centre events,  North Shore Tennis  Open at Naremburn,  Brazillian Festival at Darling Harbour, Thornleigh Public School Fair, public first aid at The Davis Cup 2011,  Relay for Life 2012/2013, ......  to name but a few.

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I have travelled to Haiti three times with 50 kg (each visit) of clothing and school supplies for children in the Labadee village.  Schooling in Haiti is a privilege, not a right.  Parents have to pay for the privilege, and, being the poorest country in the southern hemisphere, few can afford it.

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*   In 2000 I carried the Olympic Torch in the Olympic Torch Relay (awarded for my community work).​

  

*   I was awarded a Certificate of Appreciation from the Chairman of American Red Cross for working with the victims of the World Trade Centre
    disaster in 2001.

 

*   In 2009 I was named Volunteer of the Year Sydney Inner West.                

 

*   In 2020 I was a member of the award for the NSW Premier's Bushfire Emergency Citation.  Recognising the outstanding contribution of volunteers
    and service agency personnel who played a significant role in the emergency response effort to combat the 2019-2020 bushfires.

 

.  2023 I was awarded the National Emergency Medal for working on the 2020 bushfire recovery.

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Working as a Celebrant now frees up considerably more of my time so I can devote it to my volunteering.  But I do need some money to live, so rely on my work as a Celebrant to enable me to continue my volunteering.  However you will see I am considerably less expensive than most Celebrants - I do this as a community service as I believe in offering a full service inexpensive ceremony .... getting married shouldn't cost an arm and a leg. 

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