WA - Australian Red Cross

All in the family
Three generations of the
Keogh family have been
involved as members,
volunteers and staff at Red
Cross in Queensland.
When Julia Keogh joined the Warwick
office as an intensive family support
caseworker in 2006, little did she know
that it would inspire her family to
become involved with Red Cross.
“My whole family has gravitated
towards this incredible organisation,”
Julia says.
Her aunt Eileen volunteers as a
TeleCHAT volunteer with four clients
on her call list. “She’s even brushing
up on her French to better
communicate with one of her clients,”
Julia says.
Mother Kate is the Secretary and
Treasurer of the Warwick Branch, of
which Julia’s daughter Elizabeth and
two sons Sebastian, 18, and Nicholas,
15, are all members. Kate is also the
Zone Representative Darling Downs
and wider region.
Elizabeth, 20, who works at the Milton
office in Brisbane, plans to study
nutrition at the University of
Queensland. Julia is particularly proud
that Elizabeth has been a regular
blood donor since leaving high school.
The full extent of the Keogh family’s
commitment to Red Cross was
demonstrated when the Queensland
floods occurred in 2010.
“Warwick was hit severely by the
floods,” Julia says. “The town was cut
off in 2010 and again in 2011 so we
had many people travelling through
Nicholas, (left) is the youngest member of the Warwick Branch, of which Sebastian, Elizabeth, Julia
and Kate Keogh are also members.
visiting family, we had international
visitors who were stranded, it was an
intense time.
“Because of the limited number of
volunteers with experience in
emergency training… mum, myself,
Elizabeth and Sebastian ran the
evacuation centres.”
“I remember in the second evacuation,
Seb had been on his feet for about 17
hours and he sat down, pulled off his
shoes and socks and said, ‘Next time,
remind me to put on a dry pair of
socks’. When we were activated, it
was like ‘Get in the car now, they’re
closing off access’, so we just had to
grab whatever we could and go. Now
we all have our ‘evac’ packs ready to
go next time we’re activated.”
“I’m very lucky to have such an
amazing family,” Julia says. “Their
compassion and ability to give is
inspiring for me and I get so much
positive energy from them – it’s great
to see they’re willing to give of their
time without question.”
Warwick Daily News/Linden Morris
Western Australia
110 Goderich Street East Perth WA 6004
GPO Box P1239, Perth WA 6844
Telephone: (08) 9225 8888
Facsimile: (08) 9325 5112
Email: wainfo@redcross.org.au
National Office
155 Pelham Street Carlton South VIC 3053
PO Box 196 Carlton South VIC 3053
Telephone: (03) 9345 1800
Facsimile: (03) 9348 2513
Email: natinfo@redcross.org.au
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