I’m a country girl, through and through and like most of Australia, I’m feeling absolutely helpless this month watching my country be ravaged by fire.
Like most people around Australia, it’s been hard to sit and know you can’t help and I’ve seen dozens of conflicting messages about needing help.
Some people say we need to donate food!
Wait, not food. We need blankets.
Wait, no more blanket… it is a super confusing time.
So, as we are fire prepped and on high alert but nothing is happening – I made a bunch of calls, did a tonne of reading and have some definitive ways you can help today.
1. Donate Money (if you can)
Donating money is a really positive are some places that have oversight and are safer to donate to. These include:
-Salvation Army Disaster Appeal – www.salvationarmy.org.au
-St Vincent de Paul Society Bushfire Appeal https://donate.vinnies.org.au/appeals-nsw/vinnies-nsw-bushfire-appeal-nsw
-Animal Rescue Shelters in your local area
-Australian Red Cross has a joint disaster appeal with ABC www.redcross.org.au/nye
2. Donate goods but be careful what!
In times of crisis, often people donate everything that can and volunteers end up spending more time sorting items than actually assisting.
If you have clothing or good quality items, consider donating clothing to places like Red Cross retail stores can ensure that money can get back to the victims and into places.
3. Support the Volunteer Fire Fighters
This funds not just the operations and training but will allow to cover , training, payments, food and housing for the firefighters
Country Fire Authority – https://www.cfa.vic.gov.au/about/supporting-cfa
NSW Fire Authority – https://www.rfs.nsw.gov.au/about-us/fundraising
Each local fire station will also have their own fundraising things happening and would surely be wrapped with a homemade cake or a slab of beer dropped off.
4. Go and visit
When the flames have disappeared and life has returned back to some sort of normality, go and visit the areas that have been effected by the fires.
Fill up your car with petrol, go to the local pub for lunch, buy your groceries and get a cake from the bakery.
This small item for us to do will dramatically change the future of these small towns.
5. Call your local MP’s and the Prime Minister’s Office and demand action on climate change
Last year in Australia was the THIRD WORST country in their actions towards Climate Change. We only just beat out Indian and Kazakhstan which I didn’t think was a real place and that Borat made it up.
Here is a list of all the MP’s, their email addresses and their phone numbers.
https://www.parliament.vic.gov.au/about/people-in-parliament/members-search/list-all-members
Prime Minister Scott Morrison Contact Details
https://www.aph.gov.au/Senators_and_Members/Parliamentarian?MPID=E3L
These are just a few ways you can be an awesome human at the start of 2020.
To everyone out there right now dealing with the fires, my thoughts are with you.
To the firefighters and the people risking their lives to keep us safe – thank you, thank you.
I am beyond grateful.
Be safe out there x
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