They say every cloud has a silver lining, and that has proven true for HBNC’s recovery efforts after the recent flooding event.

HBNC lost 20 vehicles to the flash flooding brought on by ex-Cyclone Alfred earlier this year.

This included the entire fleet used for TransComCare, a vital community transport service that takes older community members to essential appointments.

The service is thankfully now back at full capacity, with more than 1000 trips delivered in the past month.

However, the HBNC team was forced to innovate while waiting on insurance claims and new vehicles, leading to some unexpected upsides.

Maureen Hall, HBNC’s manager of aged and inclusion services, said one change made to accommodate for the reduced number of vehicles was offering shared rides to passengers travelling to and from similar locations.

Initially seen as a necessary but hopefully temporary solution, Maureen said the ride sharing provided opportunities for connection, conversation and friendship.

“We have seen wonderful new friendships form between older people who may otherwise never have had the opportunity to meet,” Maureen said.

“The shared life experiences and stories exchanged in the back seats of our TransComCare vehicles have been a delightfully unexpected outcome from a very difficult time.”

Even with the fleet back to full capacity, thanks to the hard work of HBNC’s finance team and insurance providers, Maureen said there were plans to continuing offering ride sharing.

“HBNC is always looking for ways to create community connection and impact, and this is a simple change we can make to contribute towards our mission.”

To learn more about TransComCare, visit https://www.hbnc.com.au/transcom-care or phone 4194 3080.