This summer’s unprecedented fire season has impacted the lives of Australians across the country. Here’s how you can help.
The Australian bushfires have broken the hearts of Australians and the world, with weeks of endless catastrophic fires causing death and destruction across the nation. In such a difficult time, it can be challenging to know what to do and how to help. If you’re looking to give back to those impacted by these devastating fires, keep reading to discover the practical ways you can make a difference.
Dine
To give back to those braving these unimaginable conditions, Sydney’s restaurant community including Kid Kyoto, Mejico, INDU Dining, The Pacific Club and more are banding together to support these brave volunteers by offering a special Bushfire Appeal Gift Card ($30), with all funds to be donated directly to the NSW RFS.
Sydney’s hospitality industry has also shown its support for those affected by the bushfires, with the Sydney #cookforthebush brunch event on January 12th at NOMAD selling out within just a few hours. In response to popular demand, NOMAD is hosting a bake sale fundraising takeover at GoGo Bar at Chin Chin as well as hosting a rooftop lunch at Paramount Recreation Club on Sunday, January 12th. The events kick off at 10am at both venues, with all proceeds from sales going directly towards the Australia Red Cross. To find out more, click here.
The crew from SoCal are also hosting an ‘All You Can Eat Tacos‘ fundraiser on Monday, January 21st to raise much-needed funds for the Salvation Army Disaster Appeal. To find out more and to nab tickets ($40 with 50% of sales donated to the Salvos), click here.
Shop
Brands and businesses across Australia and beyond are coming together to help raise much-needed funds for the bushfire crisis. Whether its donation drives in the immediate wake of the fires to ongoing fundraising efforts, many businesses big and small are doing their bit to help those in need. Here’s a snapshot of the brands donating profits to the fire relief effort this month:
- Frank Body: donating 100% of profits from their A-Beauty Scrub to WIRES throughout January 2020
- Margot Mai: donating 100% of sales to the fire emergency until January 11th
- Fashion Boundary: donating 10% of each sale for the month of January to the Red Cross
- Sant and Abel: donating 10% of all sales throughout January to the Port Macquarie Koala Hospital and the Red Cross
- Purchase a ‘Bushfire Support Box‘ from Good Pair Days for $90, which includes 3 bottles of wine from affected wineries in the Adelaide Hills region.
Give
With firefighters and volunteers working around the clock to help save homes and lives, one of the most productive ways to lend a hand is by giving your time and energy. Whether it’s giving a firefighter a hot cooked meal or assisting injured wildlife in receiving care when they need it the most, here’s just some of the ways you can give back.
- Donate unwanted non-perishable foods such as canned vegetables, long-life milk, pastas, noodles and rice. FoodBank has a list of most-wanted food items here as well as a guide to where to drop-off these items in every state.
- Get involved by volunteering or cooking meals for firefighters and volunteers.
- Learn how to help injured wildlife with WIRES’ Bushfire Factsheet for Wildlife.
Attend
Australia’s music and arts community are set to unite this weekend for a one-night-only bushfire relief concert at Sydney’s Metro Theatre. The Sydney Festival Bushfire Appeal Concert on Saturday, January 11th will feature a line-up of local artists including Regurgitator, Custard, Dan Sultan, Neptune Power Federation, Polish Club and Art Vs. Science. All proceeds from the event will be donated to the Red Cross Disaster Relief and Recovery Appeal (helping thousands of Australians in bushfire evacuation centres in Victoria and New South Wales) and WIRES (Australia’s largest wildlife rescue organisation). Tickets $50+bf can be purchased here.
Donate
Still looking for other ways to help? Here are some of the key organisation in need of funds to assist with this bushfire crisis:
