Our Impact | One month on from the 2022 QLD & NSW Floods

GIVIT's impact in the 2022 Flood recovery

In February and March 2022, the East Coast of Australia was battered by torrential rain. The resulting floods caused devastating loss of life and property. With an estimated 50,000 households impacted, here's how GIVIT is helping people rebuild their lives.

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People we've helped since the floods

Lismore

Container of Dreams is a Northern Rivers organisation that's doing amazing work getting what's needed to the Lismore community, and the people they're helping have some harrowing stories.

When Gemma's* home was inundated, she was forced onto the roof to escape the rising floodwaters. Incredibly, while she was on the roof, her house caught fire, and she was rescued by a neighbour. Gemma spent the next six hours watching the lower part of her house flood, and the upper part of her house burn. Through Container of Dreams, GIVIT provided Gemma with a range of vouchers to local businesses to help her replace destroyed possessions as she recovers.

Lismore residents Jake* and Leonie* emptied their fridge (pictured below) and were ready to use it as a life raft as floodwaters rose through their house. They tied the fridge to their front landing, complete with cooking pot as a bailer, and were preparing to make their escape in the fridge when they were rescued. GIVIT coordinated the donation of vouchers to Jake and Leonie so they could buy a new fridge.

Through GIVIT, Container of Dreams is distributing many donations of vouchers and items to affected locals (pictured below), including camera gear for a photographer, and a laptop for an impacted woman.

Gatton

A man in Gatton returned home from hospital after treatment for a major heart issue to find his house flood-damaged and mouldy. The man turned to Lockyer Community Centre for help.

Thanks to generous donors, GIVIT coordinated the donation of vouchers, allowing the man to buy groceries, cleaning supplies, new electrical goods and furniture to replace what was lost, as well as feed for his animals.

Logan

Logan House Fire Support Network has pivoted to provide urgently needed support and volunteers to assist with flood clean up in the Logan region, where hundreds of houses were inundated.

GIVIT has coordinated the donation of grocery vouchers, fuel vouchers and bottled water for the organisation to distribute to impacted residents.

Tweed

Tweed-based Momentum Collective assists those in need on both sides of the border. People already experiencing domestic and family violence, homelessness, mental ill-health or disability have been impacted by these floods.

GIVIT provided grocery and fuel vouchers for Momentum Collective case workers to distribute to vulnerable flood-affected members of the community.

Hawkesbury

In Sydney, Hawkesbury's Helping Hands (HHH) had the heartbreaking task of supporting a family whose home had been inundated for the second time in a year. HHH provided the family with supplies, including Kmart, grocery and fuel vouchers from GIVIT.

One member of the family, Leah (name changed), was five months pregnant, and was looking forward to buying lemon or lime cordial to satisfy the craving she’d had since the family was evacuated.

South Windsor 

Peppercorn’s flood recovery support team is well-versed in response and recovery, and are assisting Hawkesbury residents northwest of Sydney through their second flood event in just twelve months.

GIVIT Engagement Officer visited the South Windsor disaster recovery centre where Peppercorn was assisting. On her visit she met Sarah and Jane (names changed), two volunteers working with Peppercorn who’d been connected with the organisation through GIVIT's donate time function.

Gold Coast & Northern NSW

The Indigenous Futures Foundation’s (IFF) core work is focused on food justice for First Nations communities in Southeast Queensland and Northern New South Wales. The floods have dramatically increased the need for IFF’s community assistance.

GIVIT has provided grocery and fuel vouchers, which will be distributed to families doing it tough on IFF’s weekly food run. Donations of hardware items, clothing and personal items has meant Indigenous Futures Foundation has been able to widen its scope and ensure flood-impacted First Nations Australians are supported in this recovery.

Thanks from flood recovery organisations and flood donation recipients

"I'm glad we have an amazing service like GIVIT who are there to support people who have been flood-affected. You guys do an amazing job. Thank you."

Anglicare IFS and SFS, Gympie

“WOW! That might not seem like much but for me – this is HUGE. A bed, a fridge and a washing machine are pretty much all of the ‘major’ items I need to help rebuild my life. Bless you and thank you!”

Recipient of vouchers in Northern New South Wales

“It has been an overwhelming week and your email has brightened my day. Thank you for giving us some hope moving forward.”

South Lismore Public School Principal

“Huge thank you to everyone far and wide all across Australia who have kindly donated and continue to donate [Coles, fuel, Kmart, Bunnings and Woolworths] vouchers for us to use and distribute!” These are especially great for the recovery period, this is going to be a marathon not a sprint, and [it’s] also about supplying immediate need to enable people to buy exactly what’s needed.

And thank you to Kirsty from GIVIT who spent most of the day at HQ yesterday, downloading and printing, she even brought a printer with her and donated it. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!”

“We’re so grateful to GIVIT for the food vouchers and fuel vouchers that we’ll be able to support more families with. In conjunction with our weekly food runs, we’ll be able to bless families with vouchers for them to get food items, nappies or medication or whatever it may be. We’re really excited to do that, along with the other items we get from GIVIT’s virtual warehouse. So big thanks GIVIT, love yas heaps!”

Indigenous Futures Foundation

"Via Australian Red Cross, GIVIT changed my and my child’s world today (in a way that the words ‘saved us’ would not be an exaggeration). We were impacted by the QLD floods three weeks ago. My child is a higher support needs disabled child, and last year I was diagnosed with a degenerative brain disease, the symptoms of which has made it largely impossible for me to access flood recovery support for us via mainstream services / methods.

This afternoon - because of GIVIT and the people who donate to GIVIT - we have access to food for the first time in three weeks; and, in the next few days, our basic household items (eg fridge) and specific disability communication needs will be met. GIVIT has given our small family hope, and sustenance, at a time when I was beginning to fear what would become of us. Thank you so very, very much.”

With thanks to our floods supporters

National Disaster and Emergency Partner

GIVIT's impact in the recovery of the NSW floods and the QLD floods is possible thanks to our National Disaster and Emergency Partner, IAG. GIVIT's recovery work is being delivered in collaboration with the Queensland and New South Wales Governments.

We'd like to thank our generous supporters who have made donations of $50,000 or more to GIVIT (as at 4 April 2022) to assist people impacted by the floods.

How to help flood victims

The healing from these floods will take time. The scale of the impact is huge, and GIVIT will be here for the several years it will take to support these communities in their recovery. You can see below the essential items and services that are still needed by people affected by these floods.

You can donate money by clicking on the FUND button next to the request. You can also donate funds here. 100% of publicly donated money received by GIVIT will be used to buy exactly what's needed by people impacted by these floods. Wherever possible, we'll purchase items and services locally to stimulate the economic recovery of local communities.

GIVIT is here for the long haul.

Banner and thumbnail images: Queensland Fire and Emergency Services