By now, you’ve probably doom-scrolled your way through endless images of Queensland and NSW’s terrifying floods. Here’s what you can do to help disaster victims.
The east coast has been battered by apocalyptic rain for days now, and the storm has since starting moving south towards Sydney.
Eight people have died and 15,000 homes have been flooded in Queensland. Hundreds of people are still unaccounted for in northern NSW.
https://twitter.com/AimanEman_/status/1498105198849363969?s=20&t=YfcYIoPr5QQ_AOAzx014xg
If you want to shake off the digital despair and rally around our friends in need, here are all the ways you can help flood victims:
Donate
Rural Fire Service (RFS) and State Emergency Service (SES)
As we’ve learned from the 2020 bushfires, our local emergency services are invaluable when we battle back-to-back disasters.
Any funds received from your donations helps provide volunteers with the essential equipment and resources they need to assist flood victims now — and others in the future. The links above are for the Queensland sectors, but you can also donate to NSW SES and RFS workers.
Australian Red Cross Society
The Australian Red Cross currently has volunteers working in 19 evacuation centres across south-east Queensland and northern New South Wales as part of its flood appeal.
The Red Cross’ Garry Page said record rainfall had created a huge demand for volunteers. Currently, the organisation is providing shelter and support for thousands of people.
“Our staff and volunteers have rallied to meet this demand, in some cases in spite of the fact they have faced flood damage and isolation involving their own homes and families,” Page said, per 9 NEWS.
“Funds raised from the floods appeal will help Red Cross to provide immediate and longer-term humanitarian support to people across flood-devastated communities.”
In Lismore we have done floods for ever. This is not a flood – this is catastrophic. This is extreme. This is climate change. Lismore needs back up. People are on and in their roof some are screaming for their lives and water is still rising. Friends are rescuing friends. pic.twitter.com/NwikdHTX0V
— Sue Higginson (@SueHigginson_) February 27, 2022
Vinnies
St Vincent de Paul’s Society has launched a flood appeal that helps link up those affected by the floods with clothes, food and financial assistance to help them pay bills and sort their living situations out.
GIVIT
GIVIT is a platform that matches up people’s specific needs with what you can give away. Maybe you’ve got a spare fridge that’s been in the garage for weeks and someone could use it right now. Or maybe you’ve got a bag of clothes that don’t fit you anymore and a family is in need of dry clothes.
Basically, you can meet someone’s specific need by donating an item they’ve requested.
Mutual Aid
You can also keep an eye for call outs on social media and GoFundMe for mutual aid, or offer your services online.
If you’re in Queensland, check out this Google Doc that lists mutual aid requests from locals.
From #Lismore –
My Neice Tanya Collins and daughter are at 8 Cromer st and getting very cold. Desperately needing help. Cannot get into there ceiling space.
Rodney Bray My brother-in-law is at 12 Cromer Street and will be attempting to get onto the roof soon. 3 adults 3 dogs
— Sam Connor (@criprights) February 27, 2022
Disabled people need help! Check on your neighbours, even if you don’t know them. These floods are life or death for vulnerable people.#SEQFloods #Brisbane #AusPol #ABCNews https://t.co/1fBV9y0dt6
— Hemlock 🕷 (@hausofhemlock) February 28, 2022
Volunteer
If you want to help in a more material sense, there are also a number of organisations and groups looking for volunteers.
Mud Army 2.0
Brisbane City Council is calling for volunteers to help clean up the city as it tries to recover from the on-going floods. If you’re in Brisbane and want to help, you can register here.
Crisis Heroes
Crisis Heroes is a platform that links up people in need with people that can provide help.
It was launched as an aid service during the pandemic but the creators are now urging people to use it for flood relief.
Users can put a call out for help with basically anything — obtaining dry clothes, getting a lift to the local grocery store, etc. And if it’s within your capabilities to help you can answer their call and provide assistance.
Our community has grown considerably in the Brisbane area relating the floods. Here’s how you can get or give help:
– Flood clean up
– Food and supplies
– Heavy lifting
– Rubbish pick up
– Electrical
– Transport/lifts
– Mould removal
👉 https://t.co/5oG2Vpaija pic.twitter.com/4wjORoC3GD— Kindly (@GoKindlyAus) February 28, 2022
RSPCA
The RSPCA is overwhelmed with animals that were rescued from floods but can’t stay in evacuation centres. If you can foster a pet, email floods@rspcaqld.org.au with details on what type of accomodation you can offer.
You can also reach out to smaller animal organisations in flood affected areas who may need volunteers to help house lost animals that they don’t have capacity for.
Reach out to people asking for help
Lastly, you can reach out to individuals you know have been impacted by floods directly to see if there’s something you can help them with.
The twitter thread below lists ways you can be thoughtful in your approach to helping flood victims.
If you are thinking about how to help flood affected people in our beautiful city of #BNE in the next week…
As someone who lost pretty much everthing in 2011 and who then did a ethnographic study on community responses in the following year … I have a few thoughts/1 pic.twitter.com/qmTjZTGRyz— nicole george (@n_george2) February 28, 2022
