Help Grampians Region Recover from Fires

People and communities in the Grampians need your help

Hi, I’m Jay, CEO of Disaster Recovery Army Incorporated, a registered charity that helps people and communities recover after a disaster, and on behalf of those affected in the Grampians following the recent fires, I want to reach out to all Victorians to get behind the region and ask for your support in helping those displaced.

Victorians were warned in December that the state could expect to see significant risk of dangerous fires this summer. Just weeks later, the Grampians, only days before Christmas, the Grampians were ablaze.

Homes and outbuildings have been lost, properties and farms have been damaged, animals lost, and livelihoods placed in upheaval. And businesses that would normally do much of their annual business during the holiday period have lost out, forcing many to reconsider their continued survival. Keep in mind too, these communities went through the same thing last year and are still trying to recover.

Whilst those in regional, rural and remote communities we serve are generally humble and proud to tackle their challenges as best they can on their own, Disaster Recovery Army Incorporated have been inundated with calls for help.

As a charity, we draw on our volunteer troops to tackle the tasks needing to be done. We set up base camps in areas affected by disaster to head out each day and lend our hand in helping get people’s lives and properties back.

We’ve already got teams on the ground in the area and we’re bringing in more to help secure properties, clear debris, ensure safe water, remove destroyed outbuildings and fencing, help farmers and so much more.

Spare a thought for these scenarios:

1. Bianca, a small-scale cattle farmer and single mother of three, has recently lost everything in a catastrophic bushfire. Bianca is at her lowest point, alone, feeling unsure of how to start over again after being devastated, uprooted, and without insurance. That’s when Disaster Recovery Army comes into play. Through our swift response capabilities, we coordinate efforts to assist Bianca face her challenges. We assist her with securing and clearing her property, cleaning up, organising fence replacement, providing essential items, relocating and taking care of her cows, arranging safe water, providing short-term accommodation, food, counselling, and being there to guide her in rebuilding and restoring her family’s life.

2. Similarly, there’s Charlie - a single man of 82 years sheep farmer and vegetable grower who has been flooded. Charlie has lost 60% of his sheep, his crops and fencing have been destroyed, and his home, sheds and internal roadways damaged after half metre high floodwater. Charlie can’t deal with all these issues on his own, so Disaster Recovery Army Inc gather our volunteers and head to Charlies to replace fencing, grade his roads, help prepare his land for new crops, rebuild his irrigation system, remove debris and clean up home and sheds.

3. And then there’s Adam and Carol, tourist park owners who couldn’t get insurance and whose park had been damaged by a bushfire – they lost some fencing, three of their cabins were destroyed, their fauna park was damaged, and they’ve lost their seasonal income. Adam and Carol are mentally drained trying to figure out if they’ll be able to get back on their feet for the second time in a year. That’s when Disaster Recovery Army steps up to replace the fencing, remove the charred remains of the cabins and pull in community partners in to help with rebuilding the cabins, rebuild the fauna park landscape, plant new trees and then devise a campaign to bring them new business. Disaster Recovery Army also provide Adam and Carol with access to counselling to help deal with their state of mind.

As you’ve read, there is much to be done after a disaster, and some people and properties will require more help than others.

You may know of someone who has been through a disaster before and appreciate the hope and resilience that actual help provides. You may even need our help one day (we hope not, but if you do, we'll be there for you too).

As a charity, we don't charge people for the relief and recovery work we do, rather we rely on support from generous donations by communities, people and businesses to be resourced with all the supplies and materials we need to respond to disaster events and get the jobs done - fast.

Your help is now needed

As we deploy our volunteer troops into the community, we know what lies in front, and we've got a lot of work to do. Now, we’re calling on your help with getting Grampians back again. Can you help us with purchasing the supplies required to feed and accommodate our troops? And with the materials and equipment we need to help people recover?

Think about this:

• It costs around $5k to replace a kilometre of fencing

• It costs between $3-5k per week to take care of our volunteers

• Transport, fuel and equipment hire can be $000's a week

• A Response Trailer costs us over $10,000 to be decked out and mission ready

• The PPE, training and insurances we incur to have our volunteers on the ground continues to climb

• And of course, then there's the cost of all the materials needed to replace/rebuild a disaster affected property, and providing material aid to affected people and their properties.

We rely on help from people like you to be able to cover the ever-increasing costs and providing relief and recovery to those dealing with disaster.

Anything you can contribute will be appreciated. We know it's a tough time right now, however there are people displaced who need our collective support.

Even just $10 donated by many will add up – everything counts.

We, like the Grampians communities, appreciate your kindness and financial support.

If you can support us with goods, please reach out to us.

If you're a business who can partner with or sponsor us, we'd love to hear from you.

If you can spare some time to volunteer, and you can share this fundraiser far and wide, we'd love that too.

Follow us on Facebook to keep pace with what we're up to.

Learn more at www.disaster.org.au or send us a message.

Disaster Recovery Army Incorporated

ABN 86 528 391 351

Registered charity with ACNC

Deductible Gift Recipient (DGR) endorsed - donations over $2 are tax deductible (just send us a message for a receipt of your donation)

FYI - our board are all volunteers and do not receive a wage, so you can rest assured that your donation will go to where it's needed most.

Whilst Disaster Recovery Army Inc supports and works with other charities and community groups, we are an independent charity and not related to Disaster Relief Australia.