Last month Mount Martha’s Kylie Lawrence didn’t have to think twice about helping Gippsland victims of the Black Saturday bushfires. For her, it just continued a family connection.

“Both my parents are fire-fighters and were involved in Kinglake and Marysville,” Kylie explained.

The Cadet Under Officer with the Australian Army Cadet’s 36 Army Cadet Unit at Frankston, certainly got the chance to do her bit. She joined more than 200 fellow cadets and came to Traralgon South as part of Exercise Benevolence; a weekend spent helping local bushfire reconstruction works.

The cadets worked on private property and community areas at Traralgon South, Callignee, Callignee South and Koornalla, carrying out activities including tree planting, collecting and stacking firewood, fencing, general clean-up works, gardening and landscaping.

Kylie took part in a similar Cadet weekend at Traralgon South last August, an experience she said was “a bit personal” for her and pretty heartfelt. But she had no hesitation in coming back.

“I wouldn’t miss an opportunity like this, we had such a good time last year,” she said.

“It was a little bit emotional — but at the same time it was really good to help out, and people appreciate it."

“Anyone can give donations but when you give your time it’s a completely different story.”

The chair of the Traralgon South and District Community Recovery Committee, Ange Gordon, described the Exercise as a “very, very positive weekend and very much appreciated”.

Ms Gordon said it was very important for property owners to have the assistance of cadets to help with essential jobs that might otherwise have been overwhelming because of the hours of labor required.

“And they also know that 16 months down the track they’re not forgotten,” Ms Gordon said.

By Captain Cam Ward