Northern Territory Red Cross volunteers have been recognised with excellence medals for their unwavering commitment to others during emergencies as part of the week-long celebration of National Volunteer Week.

National Volunteer Week—Australia’s largest yearly celebration of volunteering—runs from May 15 to 21 and recognises the vital support that volunteers provide to their communities and encourages people to consider volunteering.

This year’s theme “The Change Makers” is a celebration of the volunteers’ power to drive change and ensure volunteering is inclusive of all members of the Australian community.

Several dedicated Red Cross Emergency Services volunteers were awarded the NT National Emergency Medal for their contributions.

Long-time volunteer Iris Raye has been a volunteer with Red Cross since 2011 and has extensive experience with the Emergency Services volunteer teams across Queensland and the Northern Territory.

The Darwin-based Aboriginal health practitioner has worked in regional and remote health in the Territory for more than 40 years.

Ms Raye has been volunteering since 2011 and has extensive experience in Emergency Services in the NT, including most recently in the evacuation centre at Howard Springs. She also volunteered in East Arnhem Land following cyclones in 2015 and on Elcho Island where Red Cross runs First Nation’s programs.

“When most Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples recognise the Red Cross workers in their uniforms, there’s an instant sense of calm and safety,” Ms Raye said. “You are always meeting interesting people in this line of work, and you make some great lifelong friends. That’s very rewarding.”

Volunteer Mary Cunningham was also awarded a National Emergency Medal for work being deployed to Queensland in 2019 for NQ Floods. Her current volunteer work includes supporting communities with repatriation and delivering our outreach program in remote Aboriginal Communities.

David Omoni, another volunteer who received a National Emergency Medal is based in Katherine and the centre of the Big Rivers Region where the Red Cross has supported numerous communities affected by flooding. He is currently involved in the Red Cross Pillowcase Program—a workshop for children in grades three and four to help them prepare for, cope with and respond to emergencies.

Red Cross Northern Territory director William Daw said the Emergency Services program aims to help individuals and communities throughout emergencies or disasters to help people cope and manage the psychosocial impacts of such events.

“Red Cross volunteers are vital to the work we do. We are looking for more volunteers from diverse backgrounds, Mr Daw said.

Becoming a Red Cross Emergency Services volunteer means becoming part of a network of fantastic people supporting communities across Australia. It also means access to training and support, he said.

At present, there are 3,400 Red Cross Emergency Services volunteers around the country.