Alexandra Newspapers

3 hours ago

🖐️ 500 Followers! 🖐️
We just hit 500 followers, and on this Good Friday, we’re feeling pretty reflective. But this isn’t about a number on a screen to us, it’s about the 500+ legends who have become the heartbeat of the Highlands Hub.

Whether you’re a local from just down the road, a friend from further afield, or an organisation that sent funds when we needed them most - thank you. You’ve shared our posts, spread the word, and checked in when the days felt long.

🥪 Where it all began...
Cast your mind back to Day 1. There was no power, no phone service, and officially, no "safe" way in or out of town. But we’ve got some pretty handy locals who don't always wait for a permit when there’s work to be done. 🚜💨

A massive shout-out to the handful of local blokes and businesses who grabbed their own machinery, staff, and chainsaws to clear the fallen and dangerous trees blocking our access. Was it "strictly legal" or council-approved? Look, let’s just say they did what needed to be done to get the road open. They know who they are, and we owe them a cold one. 🍻

❤️ The Best of Humanity
The Hub was a sanctuary. Our organiser, Andrea, was there from the jump with a tray of sandwiches and a slab of Powerade (Andrea, we’re still waiting for that sponsorship deal! ⚡️). In that first month, nobody knew what a "day off" looked like. We were running on the scent of an oily rag, a loaned generator, and a borrowed Starlink.

The faces you saw at the Hub were our local volunteers. Every single one of them had suffered their own loss, yet they were the first ones there to lend an ear or pour a cuppa. We saw the absolute best of people - locals hauling water tanks on trailers for five weeks straight to put out smouldering fires on properties belonging to people they’d never even met.

And the Highlands CFA? Absolute champions. These legends left their own homes under threat to save others. You guys are the gold standard. 🏆

Fast forward to today, we wear a lot of hats. We’re coordinators, case workers, delivery drivers, and unofficial counsellors. We don’t have the official titles (or the paycheques!), but we do it because we love this place. It’s just the Highlands thing to do.
We’ve even hosted the Governor, but most days it's about the practical stuff. We host the agencies you need to access payments and support, and we work tirelessly to connect residents with local volunteers to tick off those "wishlist" items, from fence posts to furniture.

Because of your donations and the businesses that backed us from Day Dot, we’ve now got:

🎨 A brand new "fancy" logo! (Giving us a bit of a professional polish while we’re still out there in the dirt, thanks Sarah).

🥫 A stocked Hub Pantry & frozen meals.

👕 Workwear and clothing (we're currently fitting out our second container to keep it all sorted for winter!)

🛠️ Tools, building materials (Hubbings we lovingly refer to it), and pet food.

🚿 Hot showers and toilets.

🎸 A proper stage for music and events (Cheers, Kev and Deb!).

+ lots more stuff (I'm currently typing this post at almost midnight ready to schedule it for tomorrow so apologies!)

✨ To the Beautiful Souls...
To the people who loaned us containers and machinery, the businesses that sent goods without being asked, and the volunteers who keep the kettle boiling, you are why we’re still here.

We’re still out there advocating to Council and MPs, and rolling out our workshops to make sure we’re all self-sufficient for whatever comes next.

500 followers, one massive community. Thanks for being part of the family. ... See MoreSee Less

Alexandra Newspapers

3 hours ago

A masisve heartfelt THANKYOU! To everyone who donated today to the Good Friday Appeal, totals for collections are in:
Eildon $2620
Thornton $1018
Alex $4224
Taggerty $1539

Total including donations on the day
$11,139!! ❤️❤️❤️
CFA (Country Fire Authority) Good Friday Appeal
Eildon CFA Thornton CFA Taggerty Fire Brigade ... See MoreSee Less