After 19 years, Downs & West Community Support says farewell

Christine Henry has been called a lot of names over the years: Nun in the Bush, Quiet Achiever, Unsung Hero, Outback Angel… but to many in the southern Queensland and Darling Downs region she’s just Auntie Chris.

Her mission started in 2007, when farmers in south-west Queensland were hit with the worst drought in living history. Christine, a registered nurse and Sister of Charity, began fundraising to provide food hampers, petrol vouchers and support with household bills to farming families. Those efforts transformed into Downs & West Community Support (DWCS), a volunteer-led charity which has offered personalised, practical assistance and encouragement to farming families and their communities for the past 19 years.

The 2007 drought was followed by devastating floods. “When the floods came, we realised there’s no end in sight to the harsh conditions taking families to the edge – conditions out of their control,” Sr Christine recalls.

Extreme weather events resulted in tragedies: livestock culled, businesses failing, farmers walking off their land in massive debt, poor mental health and even the incidence of suicide rising.

A listening ear during troubling times

Sr Christine offered pastoral support, spending hours and days with families talking through their stress and anxiety. If she couldn’t visit in person she’d phone or FaceTime, write letters or send supplies and gifts. “While accompanying individuals and families as they articulated their fear, pain, worries and hope, we aimed to respond in the present moment and assisted them to find strength and to draw upon their own resources,” she explains.

Aside from providing food hampers, grocery and petrol vouchers, and community support payments so people could pay their household and farm bills, Sr Christine and her team of DWCS volunteers kept their ears to the ground to find out exactly what was needed by each family. “There’s a pride in the bush. People don’t want to let on how hard up they are,” she says. “We were always on the lookout for those who’d withdrawn – the ones keeping to themselves.”

Sometimes they helped with household cleaning and upkeep – a backyard tidy-up, mini renovations, a new front gate or tractor tyre, new appliances and furniture, shoes, school uniforms and excursion fees – and lots, lots more.

Bringing outback communities together

The nonprofit ran on the power of community, with volunteers donating more than 22,773 hours of their time. Volunteers collected and sorted in-kind donations, attended working bees, wrapped gifts, packed hampers, priced items and served at craft stall fundraisers. Some created beautiful craft items for fundraising sales, or helped organise and run events.

These events were a lifeline for communities, providing opportunities for socialising and connection, access to health care professionals and experts in relaxation techniques at no-cost to participants.

The unique Dragonfly Retreat, held on ten separate occasions, brought together dozens of country women for three days and two nights of pampering, workshops and good times in the Bunya Mountains; while 188 Wellness Days gave 6,968 women similar benefits in a shorter time span.

Other events of note include men’s Mental Health Days, Bush Christmas Gatherings and New Year Parties, and events to help farmers transitioning to town life.

The story of Evelyn Storm

Over the past 19 years, DWCS has assisted thousands of families through their ups and downs. Sr Christine recalls one that holds a special place in her heart:

“A young couple in their 30s thought they’d weathered the worst – harsh climatic conditions, the relentless struggle of farming. Then came the 2011 floods. In the midst of rising waters and serious danger, the farmer’s wife went into early labour. Before they could be rescued, a beautiful little girl was born. They named her Evelyn Storm.   

DWCS responded immediately to the emergency call. Our donors sprang into action, gathering furniture and baby items to help them set up a nursery when the waters receded.

Today, that gorgeous little girl runs around the farm, helping her mum and dad. When she introduces herself, she says with pride: ‘I’m Evelyn Storm. Evelyn, after my two Nanas, and Storm – after the big storm the night I was born.’

Support was provided to help replace much-needed fencing and tanks, and visiting the family was a highlight of our month.”

On the road with Auntie Chris

Sr Christine travelled more than 1,445,000 kilometres throughout the course of her work. “Sometimes I wouldn’t let people know I’m coming to visit until I was 30 minutes away because I knew they’d bust their boiler to bake or run into town to buy something,” she says. “I brought what we needed for morning tea because they may not have had anything.”

Often Sr Christine was accompanied by her toy poodle Lady Kenya, and then Lady Kenya’s successor, Prince Harry. The sweet-natured little dogs acted as ice breakers; people would bend down and pat them, then perhaps start to talk about how they were feeling.

“A farmer will sit on an old log and I’d sit down beside them and then Harry would jump on the farmer’s lap and slowly, slowly, the farmer would open up,” she recalls.

Celebrating a remarkable journey

Looking back on nearly two decades of service, Sister Christine reflects, “What I witnessed in those early days, and in every year since, has been the extraordinary strength, resilience, kindness and compassion of rural communities across Southern Queensland.

“While the decision to wind down this important work has not been easy, I am forever grateful for every connection made, every conversation shared, and every life touched along the way.”

DWCS Advisory Committee Chair and Treasurer Chris Garnier said the organisation’s legacy will live on through the lives it has touched.

“Nineteen years of human kindness cannot be erased from the soil of Queensland. Thank you to our donors, our volunteers, our resilient farming families, and most of all, to Sister Christine for her 19 years of selfless service.”

While Downs & West Community Support’s chapter has come to an end, the spirit of kindness, resilience and community that defined its work will continue to inspire those whose lives were touched over the past 19 years.