b'Helping communities affected by bushfiresPeter lost everything when bushfires blazed through his beloved Gippsland community. He lost his home, his sheds and equipment, as well as a third of his cattle and sheep. With his belongings turned to ash and hisI cant thank people enough for their source of income decimated, Peter hadgenerosity. I feel very humbled, says Peter.nowhere to go. Peter can never replace everything heIn the months following the fire, Peter stayedlost in the fires, like his treasured family with his daughter. But with a 3-hour commuteheirlooms dating back to the 1800s. Butto check in on his surviving sheep and cattle,with family, friends and Uniting by his side, Peter knew he couldnt last long. Peter celebrated Christmas 2020 with a It was a long drive, says Peter, who is in hisgrateful heart.70s. It was starting to take a toll. It was wonderful to be around family,Thankfully, one of Peters neighbours reachedPeter says.out with a self-contained shed to sleep in whileIt was certainly a year to remember forhis homeand his lifewas rebuilt. all of the wrong reasons, but at least wereTalking with Peter, our team worked tostill here.understand what he needed to re-establish The photo accompanying this story is for illustrative purposes a sense of home and belonging. For Peter, it only. It is not a photo of the person featured in this story.was simple: a lounge chair, coffee table,and a table and chair to eat his meals on.Uniting Vic.Tas Annual Report 2020-2021 33'