Yesterday I did a "tour of duty" of some of the services in the Upper Yarra Region (Yarra Junction to Warburton). To say my eyes were opened would be an understatement.
Seeing housing in streets that literally turn into rivers when it rains (too bad if you want to either get out or in! I drove through and area where gunshots at night are not unheard of! And remember...this is the picturesque Yarra Valley.
By far the most challenging event of the day was going with a worker to a caravan park to check on a resident - with the fear that they might have committed suicide.
It's hard to express the feelings and thoughts going through your head as you enter a situation like this. I really didn't want to be one of the people discovering a dead body - it certainly would have changed the agenda for the day.
So, you can imagine my relief when were were told to "go away" by the resident, obviously still alive within the caravan. I never saw the resident, but their voice was enough to convince us that they were alive!
I need to give a massive hat tip to all outreach workers - who can do this kind of thing everyday! I was very grateful for the eye opening experience, and my respect and admiration has only grown.
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