Australian Bushfires – How we can help

Our country is in the midst of the most devastating fire season to date. 24 people and 0.5 Billion animals have died, 2,000 houses in NSW alone have been damaged or destroyed, and more than 17.9 million acres of land has been burned across our nations six states. And it is only the beginning of bushfire season.

So what can we do to help? Here are some charities supporting bushfire victims and wildlife:

  • Wildlife Victoria: Donations to Wildlife Victoria are used to keep the Wildlife Emergency Response Service operating 7 days a week, train and support more volunteer rescuers and transporters to attend wildlife emergency around the state, and educate the public on understanding and living harmoniously with Australian wildlife. <https://www.wildlifevictoria.org.au/donate/donate-to-wildlife-victoria>
  • CFS: Donations to CFS goes toward disaster recovery, the Kangaroo Island Mayoral Relief and Recovery Bushfire Fund, providing immediate financial assistance to CFS volunteers and their families in the event of injury, death, or loss of property while engaging in their community service, and directly to the SA Country Fire Service brigades in over 420 locations across South Australia.
    < https://www.cfs.sa.gov.au/site/home/how_you_can_help.jsp >
  • NSW Rural Fire Service: Donations are for the benefit of volunteer brigades
    < https://www.rfs.nsw.gov.au/volunteer/support-your-local-brigade >
  • CFA: You can choose for your donations to either go toward affected families and communities, to support the wellbeing of volunteer firefighters, to the CFA to continue their work protecting lives and property in Victoria, or to help CFA Brigades fund their work in the local community. THE CFA ASK THAT NO GOODS ARE DONATED AT THIS TIME AS THEIR RELIEF CENTRES ARE CURRENTLY OVERWHELMED BY DONATIONS WHICH IS DIVERTING RESOURCES AWAY FROM CRITICAL TASKS
    < https://www.cfa.vic.gov.au/donate1 >
  • Food Bank: Donations go toward helping Victorians in need, especially during the bushfire crisis
    < https://www.foodbank.org.au/support-us/make-a-donation/donate-funds/?state=vic >
  • The Salvation Army: Donations go straight towards the Salvation Army Emergency Service teams responding to the bushfires, helping them deliver the crucial support right when its needed, and ensuring the SAES teams can stay as long as it takes to help local communities make a full recovery
    < https://www.salvationarmy.org.au/donate/make-a-donation/donate-online/?appeal=disasterappeal >
  • Community Enterprise Foundation – Bushfire Disaster Appeal: You can choose for your donations to go towards the national appeal or to a state or territory of your choice, all funds going towards supporting communities affected by fires.
    < https://www.communityenterprisefoundation.com.au/make-a-donation/ >
  • First Nations Go Fund Me Fundraiser: Donations will go towards First Nations people affected by fires by; covering temporary relocation costs, other basic amenity and emergency relief costs such clothing , miscellaneous vital personal items, refurbishment of damaged property, resettling expenses, ongoing rental support where necessary, and replacement of vital items i.e damaged medical equipment, clothing , toiletries , other vital personal belongings.
    < https://au.gofundme.com/f/fire-relief-fund-for-first-nations-communities >
  • Red Cross: Donations go towards supporting people at evacuation centers and recovery hubs, psychological first aid to reduce trauma, emergency assistance (including cash grants to people who have lost homes in these bushfires), supporting Red Cross volunteers and covering their expenses, long-term recovery programs in disaster-affected communities, helping families and communities prepare for disasters, and covering essential costs like transport, office space, and finance and IT systems.
    < https://www.redcross.org.au/campaigns/disaster-relief-and-recovery-donate >
  • WIRES: Donations go toward help rescuing wildlife and aiding WIRES volunteer rescuers and carers support these animals injured by these emergency fires. IN DECEMBER ALONE WIRES 1300 LINE RECEIVED OVER 20,000 CALLS AND VOLUNTEERS ATTENDED OVER 3,300 RESCUES.
    < https://www.wires.org.au/donate/emergency-fund ?
  • Zoos Victoria: Every donation goes towards emergency veterinary care, and scientific intervention (such as exploring supplementary feeding for the animals who have survived, but whose habitats have been destroyed by the bushfires)
    < https://www.zoo.org.au/emergency/ >
  • RSPCA: Donations go towards supporting affected wildlife and livestock in NSW, VIC, QLD, and SA
    < https://www.rspca.org.au/blog/2020/how-help-animals-during-bushfire-crisis >

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