Dear Circle of Hope,

One thing I have noticed in my interactions in various community forums, meetings and conversations in recent weeks is the fatigue that is present within our community. By this I particularly note the people who I call the carers in our community. Now in saying this I recognise that the care which is present in our community reaches far and wide. Every day I hear stories of good deeds and beautiful examples of active care amongst neighbours and even strangers. But in recent times I have found myself in the presence of those responsible for caring for the vulnerable in our community. These people have worked tirelessly with the pressures of limited funding and personnel to care for those in the greatest need. All this has occurred in an intense season where natural disasters, a housing crisis and the rising costs of living, have all impacted the needs of people within our community in a multitude of ways. Some of these carers have not been able to take a break, a vacation or even their allocated leave, because the demands for the care they offer are so high.

Who cares for these people? Who supports the carers who are fatiguing because they work tirelessly to care for others? Who cares for the carers? 

For many carers it is extremely clear that if they pause or stop doing what they are doing to refresh and energise for the next season, there will be no-one else to step into the breach or to bear the load. Added to this, is the very present and legitimate nature of the rapidly growing numbers of vulnerable people based in our region who are in need of care and this is overwhelming.

In our own backyard at the Uniting Church we have volunteers who daily seek to offer care to those who are sleeping rough under our verandahs or accessing our Op Shop. It is often thankless care that they provide and also comes with confronting and difficult circumstances. A building fire, human excrement, police intervention and verbal abuse have all occurred in this setting and take a toll on those who have compassionate hearts and a desire to serve those in need.

So what can we do? We can’t all be at the coalface offering care to those in need but we are all in this together. Why not consider reaching out to a carer with an act of kindness. Shouting someone a cuppa, sharing an encouraging word or an acknowledgment of the difference that the care they are providing is making, are just a few ways that carers can be cared for. Thinking more creatively, maybe your social group, workplace or business could pool together and provide a holistic care gift or package that would be a genuine and unexpected blessing to an individual or group of carers. Acts of kindness like this are a wonderful reminder that carers in our community are seen and that the enormity of what they bear, often on behalf of the whole community, is valued and recognised. This is another way we can actively love our neighbours.

May we all find ways of caring for the carers in our community.

Thank you for being part of our Circle of Hope,

Grace and peace,

Phil