Resident asks for urgent hardware and grocery vouchers in flood-ravaged Lismore

AS residents of flood-hit Lismore continue the muddy clean-up in the wake of the devastating event, one local woman has a message for those wanting to help.

AS residents of flood-hit Lismore continue the muddy clean-up in the wake of the devastating event, one local woman has a message for those wanting to help.

Please send vouchers — and preferably of the hardware and grocery variety.

Long-time resident Naomi Worrall said many in the northern New South Wales town were caught off guard with the speed and the severity of the flooding that hit in the early hours of last Friday morning.

Power was cut to many homes and businesses, leading to the loss of food supplies, and homes and gardens left in a muddy, destroyed mess.

Now, as the clean-up continues, Ms Worrall said the most urgent items required by those residents attempting to rebuild their lives came from the hardware and grocery stores.

She put out an SOS for vouchers on Facebook this morning that was quickly shared hundreds of times.

“All of these people are saying, ‘oh my God what can we do?’ Lots of people know someone from Lismore and want to know what they can do,” she said.

“I was lying awake last night — all we want to do is sleep but we can’t — thinking of all of the things I need to fix and I remembered I have a Bunnings gift voucher in my wallet and it made me so excited.

“The other part of it was that, many years ago when I went through a rough time and I had all my things stolen, my dad gave me several hundreds of dollars of grocery vouchers and it is the best thing.

An aerial photograph of floodwaters engulfing homes in central Lismore last Friday. Picture: Dave Hunt / AAP

“Rather than going through tinned food, you can go and buy what you want.”

Mother-of-three Ms Worrall said the floods had been the worst to hit the town in more than 40 years but the swiftness with which they came caught many residents off guard, leading to the loss of more property than might otherwise have occurred.

“It hit really fast, no-one was prepared for it and it was quite frightening,” she said.

“We’re used to floods, but this was quite terrifying and devastating.

“There is so much cleaning up to be done. I’m just looking around the devastation of my own house, I had a river surrounding me.”

Ms Worrall said while, ideally, she hoped anyone inspired to buy vouchers to help residents out immediately would do so at local businesses who have also suffered losses, she welcomed those from out of town sending them from chains such as Bunnings or either of the two major supermarket chains.

A freezer full of food is left on the side of the road as floodwaters recede in Lismore on Saturday. Picture: Tracey Nearmy / AAP

“A lot of houses went under, the CBD went under and we lost a lot of food,” she said.

“I did think of not wanting to plug particular businesses but if people could arrange to support the small local businesses, that would be best.

“But practically speaking, someone in Sydney can go into a Bunnings and go and post it straight away.

“Obviously, I would love people to ring around and find a small business but for those not in town, I know it might be difficult.”

As for donations of items such as furniture and clothing, Ms Worrall said most people were in need of specific things, so vouchers and cash always proved best. “

A friend of mine from the Blue Mountains who has been through bushfires commented that, in her experience, gift vouchers and cash are the best, because people are often given stuff and it might be stuff they don’t want or need and a lot will end up at the tip,” she said.

Naomi Worrall has urged those wanting to help flood-affected Lismore residents to send hardware or grocery vouchers.

“Whereas, if people just have the option, they know what they need and can go and get it.”

To find a local Lismore business to support, go to ourpatch.com.au/lismore/categories

To donate to the Salvos Cyclone Debbie disaster appeal, which will aid all communities impacted by the storms and floods, click here