What Essentials Would You Need after Said Bushfire?

• 

  neil on 03/01/2020 - 13:50

  +9

  Just donate money. Donating anything else at this point will just create more work for others.

  VIC Emergency:

  As Victorians, we're famous for our generosity and willingness to support people in times of need but sometimes that generosity can be misplaced.

  Charity organisations are reporting that their volunteers and staff are having to spend time sorting through goods rather than helping impacted communities.

  Please make financial donations only unless official requests are made for specific donations of goods or clothes. Thank you! 🙂

  Details of the Bushfire Disaster Appeal can be found here: http://emergency.vic.gov.au/relief/#donations

  • 

    OzCheapo on 03/01/2020 - 14:01

    I was thinking of putting everything into a care/provision package. Unfortunately, I won't have the cash reserves to help people on the scale needed but I have the organizational skills to draw supplies.

    • 

      Baa on 03/01/2020 - 16:20

      Volunteering may be another option then?

• 

  yellowfever on 03/01/2020 - 13:56

  Cash is king

  • 

    pegaxs on 03/01/2020 - 14:22

    +2

    It’s not if there is nowhere left to spend it.

    Food and water is king

    • 

      yellowfever on 03/01/2020 - 20:32

      +1

      I meant donating. Money is best.

      • 

        pegaxs on 03/01/2020 - 20:50

        +1

        Good idea. So let's pad out the pockets of the charities.

        At least if I donate food and water, I know that people will get food and water. It's hard for someone to take 90 cents on the dollar out of a pallet of water to feed their CEO's wallets.

        Given the choice to supply goods that people need or services they need or coughing up cash for some corporation, masquerading as a charity, to drain most of that cash off for their "overheads", I would donate physical items every time.

        • 

          yellowfever on 04/01/2020 - 13:57

          @pegaxs: Physically donating food and water to the victims isn't practical, at least in most people's position. You have to personally transport the food and water to where? Mallacoota? 500km out of Melb? Or to a disaster relief centre? No thanks.
          Agree, if it was practical then physical donations would be useful.

          Donations to actual fire relief groups as set out by emergency authorities would be most helpful. You may not appreciate the way they may handle your money, and that is totally fine too. You don't have to donate.

• 

  SimbaGirl on 03/01/2020 - 14:29

  +4

  Whilst I appreciate you wanting to help however you can (which is great), a cash donation is definitely preferable in these situations. I have family in the fire zone on the NSW South Coast, and one of the biggest issues is access in and out of the area - highways and secondary roads closed, power outages so service stations can't operate, and supply trucks for food and fuel can't get through - so transporting goods into these areas is a logistical nightmare, especially with the ongoing communication outages (phone/internet etc) in many places. Providing physical goods that will somehow need to be sent into the fire zone just isn't practical at the moment.

• 

  ihbh on 03/01/2020 - 15:53

  Your kind thoughts are appreciated but best to do with whatever funds you have available or wait on the goods front until there are specific request, otherwise it could be a well meaning but wasted effort. Just a quick thought on your supplies:

  Food (Tea/Biscuits)/Clean Water - teas/biscuits not essential and not sustainable to ship water from Brisbane - best to get as near local as feasible
  Clean Clothes and Sanitation - don't know size or preference and could end up in landfill
  Basic First Aid Kits - not sure how much this would help
  Basic Medication - Aspirin/Antacid/Charcoal/Buscopan - not sure how much this would help
  Blanket/Pillow - bulky and probably unncessary given summer
  Insect Repellent - not sure how really needed this is.

• 

  AssamLaksa on 03/01/2020 - 16:45

  As others said as well, money.

  Volunteered with the Salvos and the staff had to sort through all the donated items which takes ages…

  And even if you did pack it into care packages they'll have to open it up and re-sort them again (e.g. put all the food products together etc). They don't just take a care package as is and give to a family just like that because each family has different needs.

  • 

    OzCheapo on 03/01/2020 - 17:24

    I see; thanks. Good that you're volunteering with the Salvos. They're a great organization.