Jodie’s Story

Orara Valley, NSW

After returning to the Orara Valley after years away, Jodie Nancarrow had been keen to make connections within her community.

“It all started with an email from the Coffs ‘Living Lightly’ program. At the end there was an ad about the Resilient Communities Program… I thought: that sounds interesting, so I put up my hand to get involved. By the end of that weekend training, I knew I’d done the right thing”.

In addition to building a much larger friendship network, since completing the Resilient Communities program, Jodie has helped establish the Nana Glen Food Collective: a fully incorporated group with a core of 16 who meet regularly, hosting food swaps, solstice events and more.

Linked to the Food Collective, Jodie has also been heavily involved in establishing the Orara Valley Community Action Network (OVCAN). A direct outcome of Resilient Communities, OVCAN is currently working on two main projects. The first is aimed at raising awareness and facilitating the distribution of CB/UHF radio networks. “After the fires, locals were keenly aware that communications were a real issue. So it’s about getting the right communications to land holders”.

The second project is a ‘preparedness pack’, linking residents with pre-existing local groups for support or to get involved. “It has everything they need on all things local: who to speak to if you want to join the RFS, or Lions Rotary, plus other key websites and phone numbers”

In the process of reaching out to different regional groups for advice and to share learning, Jodie was excited to come across previous OzGreen participants. She says that this has enabled a common language and trusted frameworks for getting community traction. Jodie now feels that not only is she more prepared herself, but more able to support her community to be prepared too. 

“The biggest thing I learned from my training was to listen with intent. In all our groups, I think everyone feels validated and knows they are going to be heard, that what they’ve got to say is valuable.”

“It’s a really nice way for people to catch up and talk about veggie gardens and the rest. Even if you're not interested in gardening, it's a place to connect. I certainly learned from the program that a better-connected community gets better results after a disaster. And that's what we're trying to push for in our area.”

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