Wendy Harper, a long term Rylstone resident who was raised in Mudgee, has been inspired to set up #MyStreetSupport - a free national resource for people to set up their own street support network during the coronavirus pandemic.
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With people becoming isolated - which will be more so if lockdown measures are ramped up - this "street by street" initiative aims to help each other as neighbours.
#MyStreetSupport provides a resource kit, instructions, posters and flyers to help set-up the local Facebook groups. Street group members are also encouraged to exchange phone numbers in case of interruptions and to support those who aren't online or on Facebook.
Each town or suburb is also encouraged to set up or join their #ViralKindness group to connect to their community for updates and to build a "social 'grid".
Wendy said that she was inspired by the way communities prepared for and dealt with the recent bushfires, as there was nothing similar in place for the COVID-19 situation, when she started a group for her now-home in the Northern Beaches.
"There are RFS Facebook pages and the RFS post what happens where. Under those circumstances people don't go to their community groups for advice in those kind of emergencies," she said. "That's because they're set up for that specific, emergency situation.
"And what the groups are finding here, even the ones set up for this specific situation, is that they're becoming inundated with enquiries. Because of the commitment to only share helpful and verified information - there's no rubbish or gossip."
Wendy added that there is currently a window of opportunity in Australia to set up these networks to help people - and reduce anxiety - before the kind of lockdown measures seen in other countries could occur.
"It will play an important and vital role to help families and loved ones set up a social safety network in the face of the lockdowns and people having to go into isolation," she said. "And even though we might not speak to our neighbours, and when people set up their street group they might not be chatting like friends on Facebook, but messages can be relayed.
"People can Facetime, put up group chats with members on the street, or they can not participate at all but have it there as a back-up. If someone hasn't heard from a person for a few days, or is worried about an elder person, then it's easy to contact a neighbour and ask if they'd seen them in the yard and if they think they're alright.
"If people feel like they're connected in a group and that we're facing this situation together - then there's safety in that. Ultimately we're social beings and in times of emergency we need to feel safe and this is a way of creating that network."