GIVIT visits Mogo Aboriginal Preschool

This story was originally published on The Beagle.

Caroline Odgers from not-for-profit donation platform GIVIT was in Mogo NSW today distributing Christmas presents to charity partner Campbell Page Mogo Aboriginal Preschool. GIVIT assisted the preschool during the Black Summer Bushfires and is now assisting with donations for families who are suffering from financial hardship as a result of the pandemic.

Caroline used donated funds from the public via the GIVIT platform to purchase Christmas presents locally in Mogo before presenting them to Janine Hutton, Program Manager Indigenous, Youth & Family Services at Campbell Page.

Not-for-profit donation platform GIVIT is supporting vulnerable people across New South Wales South Coast impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic through a dedicated COVID-19 Relief Program.

With requests for help almost doubling since the beginning of the pandemic, GIVIT is distributing essential items to vulnerable people across the state following a $2 million injection of funds from NRMA Insurance and RACV.

GIVIT partner Campbell Page said they have seen an increase in demand for their services over the past few months.

“Mogo, in Eurobodalla, was badly impacted by the bushfires in 2020,” said Janine Hutton, Program Manager Indigenous, Youth & Family Services at Campbell Page. “Hundreds of homes and many businesses burnt down. GIVIT assisted us at the time by providing essential donations for people to get back on their feet.”

“We’re putting a call out for donations of food, school supplies, Christmas presents and clothing to help people in this region recover and move on.”

We’ve now got people who are still recovering from the Black Summer bushfires who have lost jobs because of the pandemic and are experiencing severe financial hardship. They’re struggling to pay bills and feed their families, and many of these people are still suffering from trauma following the fires.

JANINE HUTTON, PROGRAM MANAGER INDIGENOUS, YOUTH & FAMILY SERVICES AT CAMPBELL PAGE

GIVIT spokesperson Caroline Odgers said many people are dealing with the compounding impacts of natural disasters, family and domestic violence, financial hardship and the profound effects of the pandemic.

“Large parts of this region were severely impacted by the Black Summer Bushfires, with so many people still struggling to recover,” said Caroline.

“GIVIT facilitated the donation of more than 200,000 essential items and more than $2 million to assist people in New South Wales in the recovery of this disaster.”

“In the first two weeks of our COVID-19 Relief Program we coordinated almost 10,000 donations across New South Wales, with almost 2,000 requests still outstanding.”

“Our message is that help is available. GIVIT can respond to urgent requests for essential items very quickly to help people get through this challenging period. We’re a free, online service for charities, support organisations and local councils to access donations for their communities.”

Almost every facet of life has been impacted including businesses, schools, community sports clubs and services.

GIVIT'S CORPORATE MANAGER, CAROLINE ODGERS

Since the COVID-19 Relief program was launched in September, hundreds of services have already listed requests for support including domestic and family violence services and emergency food and housing shelters.

NRMA Insurance Executive General Manager Direct Claims, Luke Gallagher said, “So many NSW communities have experienced devastating natural disasters over the past two years, including floods, hail and fires, and as an insurer we’ve seen first-hand how difficult it can be for communities to recover from these events while also dealing with the lasting impacts of the pandemic.”

“As we continue to support our customers in their recovery, we’re proud to partner with GIVIT on the COVID-19 Relief Program to help communities across the state access the urgent, essential items they need as quickly as possible.”

100% of donated money received by GIVIT to support people in need are used to purchase essential items and services. We buy locally, wherever possible, to support local businesses and the economic recovery of affected communities.

To help people struggling in your local community go to www.givit.org.au/covid-19-relief-program. To register as a support organisation go to https://www.givit.org.au/need-help/organisations.

Updated 4/1/2022: Our Ready to Learn Appeal is the best way to help disadvantaged kids get what they need as they head back to school. This appeal is not just for kids - it runs year-round and helps people of any age experiencing hardship for any reason as they attempt to complete further study.

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