There are many people who give up their Christmas lunch to help others. We speak with a Rural Fire Brigade volunteer, a hospice nurse and a Lifeline counsellor who work on 25 December
RURAL FIRE SERVICE: VOLUNTEER
The summer heat brings the threat of bushfires with it. The Rural Fire Service (RFS) is vigilant during bushfire season, ready to act if needed to keep us safe in the event of a fire or other emergency.
Chris Harmer is group captain of the Northern Beaches Rural Fire Brigade, which sits above the Beaches brigades. Chris, who lives in Cromer, has been with the RFS for 18 years.
Chris, 38, says that all 17 brigades across the Beaches have volunteer members at home available to be called on Christmas Day if they are needed. This allows them to have a day with their family and still be ready to respond to emergencies as required by the community.
“There’ll be lots of volunteers travelling outside Sydney to see family,” says Chris. “So the brigades tend to manage their own availability internally and just ensure they’ve got at least enough for one crew of people to turn out if required.
“I guess people have to plan their day around the possibility that they’ll get called out,” says Chris. “It’s important to have those conversations with family.”
It’s not just fires the brigades get called out to and there are usually more people on the roads at Christmas, which means accidents are possible.
RFS volunteer Chris Harmer
Chris recalls an incident last Christmas where a single vehicle veered off the road and into a tree. Luckily, there were no fatalities or serious injuries.
“I attended a motor vehicle accident on the Wakehurst Parkway at 3am on Christmas morning in 2023,” Chris says. “Afterwards, I fondly remember everyone wishing each other an early-morning ‘happy Christmas’ before rushing back home to make sure Santa had done his duties.”
Chris says that when RFS volunteers head into the unknown after getting a call-out, there is always an element of concern their families feel. He says it’s about communicating and building an understanding of what the volunteers do.
There’s a great sense of camaraderie, too, within the brigades.
“Everyone knows the sacrifice and the choice they make to be out there and help their community. When crews have needed to go away or have been on standby at local stations when we’ve had fire danger, there’s a really good sense of camaraderie.”
AYAH celebrations in 2023
AHYH nurse Arabella Bradley
ADOLESCENT AND YOUNG ADULT HOSPICE: NURSE
By Alex Driscoll
There are rarely days off for a hospice nurse, and Christmas is no exception.
Arabella is a nurse who works at Manly’s Adolescent and Young Adult Hospice (AYAH). In an Australian first, the AYAH is dedicated to providing end-of-life care to those aged 16 to 30, giving them and their families comfortable accommodation and respite.
There’s one thing Arabella wants people to understand about working on Christmas day: it’s a sacrifice. “There have to be people that work on Christmas,” she says. However, Arabella’s Christmas day shift differs to others.
The AYAH operations, like many medical facilities, do not cease operating on Christmas. However, that is not to say that it has to be a grim affair.
“(People) think it’s going be all sad and depressing, but that couldn’t be further from the truth,” remarks Arabella.
As a matter of fact, alongside the routine duties, AYAH creates a special atmosphere on Christmas day. For last year’s inaugural Christmas celebrations, the staff dressed in seasonal scrubs, Santa visited on a fire truck and a large Christmas lunch was held for staff and families.
Arabella has family of of her own, many of whom also work in healthcare, meaning their own Christmas celebrations are rarely done on the day. But for Arabella, the chance to help others celebrate is worth it. “I love seeing the care and the compassion that myself and my colleagues bring to our patients. I know that it makes such a significant difference.”
LIFELINE: TELEPHONE COUNSELLOR
By Paula V. Arenas Santa Maria
Steve Todd is a Lifeline Northern Beaches volunteer who has spent many Christmas days answering the phones.
“It’s a bit of a cliche, but there is a great sense that Christmas is about giving. And this is an excellent opportunity to reach out and give (above and beyond),” he says.
Steve says the people who call on 25 December have an acute sense of ‘loneliness.’
“There’s a fair need there,” he reflects. “To me, loneliness is really an undiagnosed condition, and it can come from all sorts of sources, from the loss of a loved one, loss of employment, and isolation due to a mental health condition. There are so many reasons for people to feel isolated. There are going be a lot of lonely people who, for whatever reason, feel even more lonely around Christmas,” he explains.
Steve, 79, has been volunteering for Lifeline for the last 15 years and says that giving some of his time during the festivities can generate ‘some mix feelings’ in his family. “But we still have a lot of time during the day to connect as a family and with friends.
“It is actually very uplifting. You get very involved with some of these calls, trying to help them find some meaning.
“Having someone who actually listens provides connection, and that’s an amazing present for some people who feel very disconnected and isolated. But the present works both ways, as you are actually going to be giving yourself a really fabulous Christmas present.”
Last year, around 140 calls were answered at Lifeline Northern Beaches. To support volunteers during the festive season, Lifeline has fixed schedules where volunteers have shorter shifts, answering calls for two hours. Crisis support centre manager, Troy Saxby, says there was an increase of people wanting to volunteer on Christmas Day in 2023, with 26 volunteers.
“They’re very aware that not everyone has the same sort of advantages they have in life. So they want to give back or do something charitable on Christmas Day, something that they feel is in the spirit of the season.
“The simple act of sharing with another human being who cares and will listen empathetically can be a really great reliever of stress. That chance to unburden and feel a human connection with another person is a powerful thing.”
If you need someone to talk to, call Lifeline 13 11 14
