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Australia is reeling as firefighters battle relentless blazes around the nation. Tens of thousands of people have fled from the fire-ravaged regions of New South Wales and Victoria as bushfires continue to devastate Australia. Sadly, the worst may be yet to come, with extreme fire conditions expected in the coming days.
A state of disaster has been declared for six local government areas and three alpine resorts in Victoria, and a state of emergency has been declared in NSW. Homes have been destroyed, thousands of people are stranded or in limbo and at least nine people have died. Here’s what you can do to help those affected by the devastation.
CORPORATE FUNDRAISING
GoodCompany can help you set up a FREE fundraising page for your company to support the bush fires. If you need a hand please call us on (03)95956700. Or simply start here
Victoria
For those interested in supporting the efforts of Victorian firefighters, you can donate to the state’s Country Fire Association DONATE HERE.
NSW
For those interested in supporting the efforts of NSW firefighters, you can donate to the NSW Rural Fire Service
HELP THOSE AFFECTED
The Salvation Army
The Salvos have launched a disaster appeal to support the communities affected by the devastating bushfires.
“Our teams are providing meals to evacuees and frontline responders, and will continue to provide whatever support is needed as the situation develops,” said Strategic Emergency and Disaster Management general manager, Major Topher Holland.
To donate to the disaster appeal, you can call donate at any Woolworths checkout, or donate online HERE .
Australian Red Cross
The Australian Red Cross have launched a joint disaster appeal with the ABC to support the communities affected by fires, and have raised more than $2 million already.
While they are heartened by donations of food, clothes and people offering to open up their homes, Red Cross say they’re not in a position to take and distribute these items.
“Our experience with emergencies shows that donations of money, where possible, help affected communities recover soon,” the charity said.
“Our specialist emergency volunteers are providing psychological first aid, working at evacuation centres and helping people to get in touch with their loved ones.”
Vinnies
The St Vincent De Paul Society is also running a bushfire appeal, to help those affected rebuild their lives with food, clothing, furniture, other essentials, and funds to pay bills.
You can donate at any Vinnies store or head HERE.
Givit
Charities like Givit specialise in goods, where the exact items people need are listed via charities and the public can match that or register the items they have, in case someone has use for them.
Givit is currently running supporting NSW and Queensland bushfire victims and you can DONATE HERE.
Foodbank
Foodbank is delivering emergency food relief and water to East Gippsland, helping firefighters and local communities caught up in the bushfires.
It is fundraising to send about 5,000 food relief hampers in the coming days.
You can DONATE HERE.
HELP THE WILDLIFE
Sydney University have estimated more than 480 million animals have died in Australia since September, as a result of the bushfires.
WIRES
To help the NSW wildlife victims, you can donate to the NSW Wildlife Information, Rescue and Education Service (WIRES) DONATE HERE.
WWF
Australian Wildlife and Nature Recovery Fund will deliver:
• Wildlife response – including partnering with wildlife response organisations, communities and scientist nationally for a swift and effective response and recovery at scale. • Habitat restoration for people and nature – including restoring forests and damaged wildlife habitat, stopping deforestation, including cultivating habitat connectivity, core habitat and Indigenous and rural fire management. • Future proofing Australia – including driving innovative solutions to help mitigate climate change, driving climate preparedness, species adaptation and long-term wildlife and nature conservation efforts towards securing Australia’s natural resources for people and nature.
You can help WWF-Australia get emergency funds to care for our injured wildlife and when the fires clear, help restore the forest homes our koalas, kangaroos and other animals have lost. DONATE HERE