NSW bushfires: How you can help all those in need
As Australia continues to suffer the devastating consequences of summer-long bushfires, millions of dollars and goods have been donated to help sustain the battle and support communities. Here’s what you can do to help those affected by the devastation.
NSW
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Millions of donations are flooding in to support Australians battling the worst bushfires in the nation’s history but the need for support, relief and aid will be ongoing.
Here’s what you can do to help all those affected by the devastation from donating money, goods, vouchers or something in kind.
HELP THE FIREFIGHTERS
New South Wales
Donations to the NSW Rural Fire Service directly benefit the volunteer firefighters on the frontline.
To help, you can contact your local brigade directly or donate here.
Sometimes a photo can say a thousand words. This one snapped yesterday by one of our Air Attack Supervisors from above.
— NSW RFS (@NSWRFS) January 7, 2020
Thank you for all the kind messages of support.#NSWRFS #NSWfires pic.twitter.com/hVgMfw4j50
You can also donate to the young families of Geoffrey Keaton and Andrew O’Dwyer, who were killed during the Green Wattle Creek fire, and Samuel McPaul, who was killed at the Green Valley fireground, here.
HELP THOSE AFFECTED
Foundation for Rural & Regional Renewal
The Foundation for Rural & Regional Renewal (FRRR) has set up a Disaster Resilience and Recovery Fund to support communities devastated by the bushfire disaster.
The fund supports rural and regional communities to access much-needed funding for medium-to-long-term disaster recovery and resilience projects. DONATE HERE
Spare Keys
This charity allows people to register their home or spare room to take in animals and people displaced by bushfires.
You don’t have to be in an affected area to help, just willing to give a temporary room to a person or pet in need.
You can opt out any time. You approve each guest or pet and there is no pressure to make your spare keys available if you change your mind.
FIND OUT MORE AND REGISTER HERE
Food & Supplies
Good360 is asking for non-food donations including clothing, homewares, cleaning and personal care products, furniture, hardware, stationery and toys.
The organisation’ aims to “get the right goods to the right people at the right time throughout all stages of disaster recovery”.
Where possible, shipping is free of charge.
FIND OUT WHAT BUSHFIRE AFFECTED AREAS NEED
SOCIAL MEDIA CAMPAIGNS
Bushfire survivor Turia Pitt
Inspirational bushfire survivor Turia Pitt has launched a fundraiser on Instagram that is helping local businesses affected by bushfires. The SpendWithThem page provides a platform for small businesses to promote themselves and their products.
It is Ms Pitt’s way of helping impacted communities as the current fires near her small town of Ulladulla have brought back painful memories of her own experience with fire.
In 2011, at the age of 24, Ms Pitt was trapped by an out-of-control grass fire while competing in a 100km ultra-marathon in the outback.
She suffered full thickness burns to 65 per cent of her body and has spent the past seven years recovering from her injuries.
Comedian Celeste Barber
She is one of Australia’s funniest women, known for her viral Instagram shoots. Now, Celeste Barber’s pitch to celebrities and others worldwide to donate through Facebook is climbing and will likely surpass $50 million within a week of its launch on January 3. The aim is to raise $29 billion.
She was initially raising funds for The Trustee for NSW Rural Fire Services and Brigades Donations Fund but, after the unprecedented number of donations, she has said the funds would be distributed to all states.
She said the money raised would also be spread to Victoria and South Australia, the Red Cross and families of those killed in the fires, to be decided in consultation with NSW RFS.
HELP THE WILDLIFE
The University of Sydney estimates more than 480 million animals have died in Australia since September, as a result of the bushfires.
WIRES
The organisation says it is impossible to estimate the number of native animals that have perished or how many more will be lost in the fires.
But the impact could push some species to extinction.
Food and water shortages, habitat loss caused by the fires and drought will be generational.
In December alone the WIRES NSW 1300 line received over 20,000 calls and volunteers attended over 3,300 rescues.
To help the NSW wildlife victims, you can donate to the NSW Wildlife Information, Rescue and Education Service (WIRES). DONATE HERE
Port Macquarie Koala Hospital
More than 2000 koalas are feared to have perished in NSW since September.
The Port Macquarie Koala Hospital has raised more than $2 million for the wildlife affected in that area, with the initial aim of using the money to distribute automatic drinking stations in the burnt areas to help in koala and wildlife survival.
The organisation is now sharing the funds with other wildlife organisations in the fire affected regions across NSW. DONATE HERE
WWF
The World Wildlife Fund has set up a “Help Save Koalas” fund.
They explain exactly where your money could go in helping to prevent koalas from becoming extinct:
• $50 “could help plant the first 10,000 urgently needed trees in critical koala habitat.”
• $75 “could help provide emergency care and medicine for injured koalas affected by bushfires.”
• $100 “could help protect existing forest and woodland, and the wildlife that live there.”
• $150 “could help pressure governments to strengthen laws that prevent excessive tree-clearing, before it’s too late.”
RSPCA
The RSPCA have launched appeals in NSW, Victoria and South Australia to assist in their rescue and treatment of the animals most affected during the fires, but also once they clear.
GET CRAFTY TO HELP SAVE ORPHANED & INJURED WILDLIFE
The Animal Rescue Craft Guild is rallying anyone who can or wants to learn to build, sew, knit or crochet and individuals and families from all over the world are answering the call.
Things in need include wraps for flying fox pups, pouches and knitted jumpers for wallaby, kangaroo and wombat joeys, crocheted bird nests and possum and bird boxes.
The craft guild’s Facebook page has information on patterns, materials and craft groups you can join.
Originally published as NSW bushfires: How you can help all those in need