Truck full of good to be sent from Gold Coast to Townsville flood victims after family’s appeal

A Gold Coast family who decided to do something to help victims of the Townsville floods have been overwhelmed by the response of the community. And it all began with a big-hearted five-year-old boy.

A GOLD COAST community have rallied around to help families who lost everything in the Townsville floods – and it’s all thanks to a five-year-old boy.

When little Cody Jasinski saw a news report stating that schools in the area needed to close, he asked his mum Jascinda if there was anything that could be done for the children affected.

Ms Jasinski, with children Cody, Felicity Lockwood, 14 and Elleannah Jasinski, 2, decided to donate items including clothes, toys, furniture and electrical appliances before putting out a call for help online.

Jascinda Jasinski with her children Felicity Lockwood (14), Cody Jasinski (5) and Elleannah Jasinski (2).

Less than a week later the family’s home and two storage units were filled with donated goods for the flood victims.

“When the news reporter stated no schools are open Cody said ‘Mummy, that means they can’t see their friends and they will fall behind’ and he said this makes him sad,” she said.

“So we cleaned out the kids toy room over the weekend and have a box of unused toys that Cody and Elleannah have grown out of.”

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The response to Ms Jasinski’s appeal was so overwhelming the family soon ran out of storage space in their home.

Storage King in Helensvale came to the rescue, donating boxes and packing tape as well as two storage units to house the donations until they are trucked north on Friday next week.

Flooding in Townsville this week. Picture: Queensland Fire and Emergency Services

Graeme Cox from trucking company CNQ is donating a truck to transport the load, while members of the Gold Coast Titans will travel to Ms Jasinski’s Pimpama home next week to help load it up.

“I’ve had so many generous people donate items, my dining and lounge room are filled with items ready to be sent up,” she said.

Ms Jasinski said she hoped the act of kindness would bring some happiness to those who have lost everything.

“It won’t bring back their homes, but it will give them a sense of things will be OK and we will stand by them as they rebuild,” she said.

A police car is seen partially submerged in a drain after being swamped by flood waters on in Townsville on Tuesday.

Ms Jasinski will drive up with her kids to “see for themselves” the devastation first hand.

The true scale of the clean-up across north Queensland is becoming apparent as severe weather conditions ease in flood-ravaged Townsville.

Authorities are still assessing hundreds of damaged homes across Townsville and of the 1500 homes assessed so far, 738 are severely damaged and 252 are completely uninhabitable.

To donate visit the Small kids Big Hearts GC to Townsville flood support convoy Facebook page.