10 Small Ways You Can Help The Australian Bushfire Relief Effort If You Don't Have Cash To Spare
If you're feeling helpless, these suggestions might help.
Our country is on fire, and if you're like me, you may be watching afar in safety, feeling utterly helpless and at a loss about what to do.
All the while feeling grateful for the heroism and sacrifice of our bloody fantastic emergency responders.
Far and away, the most helpful thing we're being told we can do is to donate to the services on the front lines.
These include the NSW Rural Fire Service and the County Fire Association in Victoria, as well as the Salvation Army and Red Cross and Vinnies, who are supporting their efforts with food, shelter, and other recovery costs.
However, if you want to do more or aren't in a position to make a lump sum donation, here are 10 ideas for what you can do to help the bushfire relief effort.
1. Organise a sewing bee and sew a CFA-approved cooling necktie or two.
You don't need to be super skilled in the art of ~the sewing needle~ because all it requires is a few straight lines on the sewing machine. The hundreds of members of the Facebook group Cool the Vollies are hoping to sew 10,000 neckties, filled with water storage crystals, designed to cool down those on the front lines of the fires.
If, like me, you failed your design and technology classes miserably and are hopeless with a needle and thread, the group is asking for donations of pure quilting-weight cotton, Hortico Water Storage Crystals, and sewing machine thread.
Download the pattern and find details of where to drop off, or send donations here.
2. Shop from businesses that are donating a percentage of profits to our firies.
Businesses countrywide, big and small, are doing what they can to help the relief effort. This month, local skincare favourite Frank Body will donate 100% of profits from sales of its Aussie-inspired, vegan-friendly A-Beauty Scrub, and premium clothing brand Atoir is donating 100% of all profits via online sales.
And it's not just retailers — for those in Melbourne, local coffee shop Sir Duke is donating all staff tips and matching the total for the entire month. Also, the legends at Oaks Hotels are offering seven complimentary room nights for those who have lost their homes — so if you were thinking of a staycation later this year, consider accommodation with this generous chain.
3. Hold your breath, count to 10, and donate blood.
This might be a daunting prospect for some, but giving blood or plasma really is so important as fires close in on more and more communities. Several Red Cross donor centres have closed because of proximity to fires — including Taree, Coffs Harbour, Port Macquarie, and Byron Bay — and it's up to unaffected areas to make up the difference in donations.
Register to donate blood here.
4. Adopt a koala.
The Port Macquarie Koala Hospital has started a GoFundMe fundraiser to purchase and distribute drinking stations in burned-out areas to hydrate affected koalas and other wildlife. You can donate to the cause here.
Already, it is estimated that more than 1 billion wild animals have been lost to the fires since September, with the worst of summer still to come. By adopting a koala with WWF Australia, you will be contributing to the planting of new trees for them (and other wildlife) to live in, the care of sick and injured koalas, and efforts to persuade our government to stop excessive tree clearing. You can adopt a koala here.
5. Support the rural businesses affected by the fires.
There are people who are not able to work on account of being forced out of their homes, their storefronts, and their towns. You can do your small part in getting these people back on their feet by shopping from fire-affected rural businesses where possible.
Morgana Fire, based in Paddy's River, has the most beautiful handmade ceramics. Though it has no access to a post office currently, you can show your support in advance here. Vinteloper, Petaluma, and Bird in Hand Winery are just a few wineries affected by the fires — click through to stock up on their wine (you were due a run to the bottle-o anyway).
6. Vacation in affected areas *later* this year.
In months to come, when the fires have passed and you are mulling over where to spend your long weekends away, consider rural towns that have been most affected. Eat in their cafés, spend nights in their hotels, buy their products. Many depend on tourism for their economy, so let's holiday thoughtfully this year.
7. Offer a bed to those displaced by the fires.
Set up to help evacuees of the bushfire crisis, FIndabed is helping Australians and their animals find beds and homes where they can spend the coming days and weeks. Register your home or paddock here.
Airbnb is likewise offering free, temporary housing to those in need of accommodation in affected areas, including evacuees and relief workers. Register your spare room or home here.
8. Join second-responder efforts to help affected communities rebuild.
Samaritan's Purse volunteers have been following the path of the bushfires, helping families retrieve belongings and clear debris once emergency services have declared the area safe. They are taking submissions of interest to volunteer here.
BlazeAid is another second-responder not-for-profit, rebuilding fences on fire-ravaged rural properties. More information on how to volunteer is here.
9. Donate essential items, including food, clothing, and furniture.
GIVIT is a not-for-profit organisation gathering essential items for those affected by natural disasters. You can register the items you have to give away or match what you have against a list of items needed in each state here.
For those who can get to Sydney's Eastern Suburbs, Bondi Surf Bathers Life Saving Club is collecting nonperishable food, clothes, and new toys to take to Surf Club evacuation centres on the South Coast as soon as it's safe. You can drop off your donations from Monday, Jan. 6, to Friday, Jan. 10, between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. in Bondi Surf Club's Main Hall. Find the list of needed items here.
10. And finally, talk about what’s happening.
It’s easy to be cynical about how much change your talking about what is happening can accomplish — especially when there are people on the front lines, face-to-face with the flames — but there are countless examples of people’s words making a difference already.
This most recent weekend, Celeste Barber single-handedly raised over $30 million with nothing but a Facebook fundraiser page and a plea to her fans for donations. Don’t have millions of followers but still want to do something? My mate has committed to a Dry January, with all the money that would usually go towards a bevvie going to the firies, and has inspired others to join her. Every little bit counts, so let's not shut up until our heroic volunteer firefighters get what they need.
If you own a business that has been affected by the fires, drop its website in the comments below so that our readers in a position to help can.
All our love — stay safe.
Note: If you do choose to donate to organisations, please be sure to verify the authenticity of accounts — make sure your money is going where it's needed.
