Asking her to bring him some fruit, he explained he hadn’t eaten any food for 24 hours.
He had been Euroa’s CFA captain for 18 years, but the call still came as a shock.
“He’d never cry for help, he just gets it done,” she said.
Over the next eight days, she teamed up with friend Jody Delahey and other local volunteers to provide cooked meals to emergency services on the firegrounds.
The experience got her thinking.
“If he hasn’t had food, who else hasn’t had food?” she said.
Not wanting that experience to be repeated, it prompted her to team up with Ms Delahey, whose husband is also in the CFA, and begin fundraising for a mobile community kitchen.
Wholly owned by the community, the kitchen will include a pizza oven and barbecue that can be used during times of emergency.
It would also stock other essential items, including sanitary products.
It would travel as far away as needed and outside of fire season it could also be used during other emergencies.
Mrs Rieusset said it was all about “making sure everyone is fed”.
“If you’re hurting, we will feed you,” she said.
So far, they have raised $30,000, but require a total of $80,000 to make the project a reality.
Mrs Rieusset, while acknowledging current cost-of-living concerns, encouraged the community to donate.
“This is so important to us, to my family and my community,” she said.
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