It took just one phone call for Seymour Toyota to lend the Ruffy community a truck, which was used to aid those impacted by the Longwood summer bushfire for about eight weeks.
Colleen Furlanetto was one of six people who came together “by accident” in the early days of the fire, forming the Tableland Fire Recovery Hub in Ruffy.
She said Seymour Toyota’s truck had been instrumental in the volunteers’ recovery efforts.
“It was nearly eight-plus weeks that we had that van going up and down and around and across the hills — I did many, many kilometres with it,” she said.
“It went to people’s homes. Sometimes, it’s a bit hard for people to take donations, so we found, with the van, it was really about their wellbeing and connection, and also no-one could see what they were taking.
“It was nutrition, it was communication, it was me being able to share that we had a meeting coming up, and sometimes it was sharing mail with people because mail was disrupted for many weeks.
“It means a lot to people to still have that sense of some normality in their life.”
For Seymour Toyota, offering aid to impacted communities was a privilege.
Along with its support of the Ruffy community, the company also provided Foodbank and Gnarly Neighbours each with a van to transport donated items to relief centres across the region.
Dealer principal Adam Dove said it was about helping those who had faced the devastation.
“In times like these, the strength of our regional communities truly shines,” he said.
“We have seen an incredible outpouring of support, generosity and resilience, with people stepping up to help one another in every possible way.
“Through our dealerships, we (were) fortunate to be able to give back to the community that supports us.”
Avenel local Pete was also able to use the same truck donated to the recovery hub in Ruffy to transport home items and furniture from Melbourne to a local storage facility, in hopes of donating these to fire-impacted people once they had found new residency.
Pete said he was grateful for the local business’s support.
“The generosity of Seymour Toyota in the wake of the fires is, without question, an automatic, caring response,” he said.
“The truck was being used at the Ruffy relief hub, and the opportunity of us getting the beds and other furniture from Melbourne came just as the hub finished with the vehicle.
“The stars aligned nicely, and I cannot thank Seymour Toyota enough.”
While there remains a “marathon” of recovery work ahead, reflecting on the generosity exhibited not just by Seymour Toyota, but many other local businesses and community members across the region, Ms Furlanetto said the support should never be underestimated.
“I told the Seymour crew to not underestimate the value of their contribution, it can’t be measured in dollars or all these kilometres on their vehicle, but it saved people’s lives because we were able to get to them and keep them connected,” she said.
“There is a long, cold winter ahead of us, and many months and years (of recovery) ahead. We still seek support for our community for as long as they need it.
“But, thank you to every person who’s contributed anything, whether it’s a phone call and kind words or (a truck) from Seymour Toyota.
“Seymour Toyota went over and above, that’s for sure, and they will never be forgotten by the community.”
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