Tucking into takeaway to show support
Michael Nicoletti, Pastoral Care Coordinator at Carroll College in Broulee
CATHOLIC teacher Michael Nicoletti has a novel way of showing his support for businesses affected by the fires – dining out.
The pastoral care coordinator at Carroll College in Broulee has been eating out at local restaurants for the past few weeks and, as they say, putting his money where his mouth is.
“People have lost their homes and businesses and it’s important that we buy things from them,” Michael said.
“Donations are great but for me I’m been buying lots of takeaway meals to show my support and do my bit.”
Having been alerted by the Royal Fire Service on New Year’s Eve to evacuate, Michael cleared flammable material around his property.
“The fires were only one kilometre away so I had to get rid of as much flammable material as possible,” he said.
“The garden waste bins were full so the safest way of disposing of the leaves was to bury them. I was digging in the garden for six hours straight.”
“It was an eerie day. At midday the sky turned dark and the light went from an orange glow to a red glow.
“We had one text message from the RFS, then the power went and our phones went down.
“The biggest issue was lack of information. It seemed that no one knew what was going on. “
Many of Carroll College’s staff, students and families have been affected, particularly families with their own businesses.
“I’ve been going through my stuff and finding things they can use,” Michael said.
“Many people have been very generous with material goods and their time. Businesses need to be supported so they can start to move forward again.”