Last week Ranui Baptist Community Care (RBCC) held an event to mark the one-year anniversary of the 2023 Auckland Anniversary weekend floods and acknowledge impacted locals and volunteers who worked tirelessly to support those in need.
The event, which was partially funded by Auckland Council, showcased a photo gallery to support people to remember and reflect on the deluge that devastated their neighbourhood and the relief efforts that followed. A preview of a book RBCC compiled of local tamariki flood experiences was also on display.
RBCC created a safe space for adults to record their flood experiences and share personal photos and videos, which will ultimately be converted into a documentary.
“It was a time of reflection and bringing our community together. It was therapeutic for whānau to share their stories and footage – some were emotional..” says Elesha Thomas, manager of Ranui Baptist Community Care.
RBCC displayed an emergency response kit as an important reminder for residents to be prepared with supplies and a grab bag at home in case of evacuation.
The venue was transformed into an emergency response theme for the event, complete with road cones, flood lights, cordons, and a blacked-out hall to simulate a power outage.
The one-year anniversary event was extended by several days to accommodate the high demand from locals wanting to attend.
RBCC is working on a second book to help younger children (under five years) share their stories and process the flooding events.
RBCC was one of over 30 storm-affected community organisations to receive community funding to mark the one-year anniversary of the Auckland Anniversary floods and Cyclone Gabrielle in 2023.
