NRMA Insurance and RACV partner with GIVIT to strengthen community support

In March 2022, devastating storms and flooding affected widespread parts of New South Wales. Many people were left displaced and some impacted people were still recovering from the Black Summer bushfires.

When Gemma's* home was inundated, she climbed onto the roof to escape the floodwaters. 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 help her replace destroyed possessions as she recovered.

In October 2022, torrential rain inundated more than eight river systems and catchments across Victoria. The resulting flooding caused tragic loss of life, homes and property. GIVIT worked with the Victorian Government and support organisations to get people back on their feet.

Two months after the floods in Kotupna, a sheep farmer's property was still inundated, and he was using a boat to get around and feed his sheep. The farmer lost sheep during the floods and has limited support available. He was unable to earn an income during this period as he was spending all his time trying to keep his sheep alive.

GIVIT provided vouchers for groceries, fuel and rural supplies to help ease this farmer's financial hardship and let him know he's not alone.

In 2023, an Elder and family from a remote First Nations community reached out for assistance after a wild bushfire destroyed dwellings and essential items and their personal belongings.

Due to the water supply being cut off after the water-tank melted and plumbing destroyed by the fire, many members of the community were in desperate need of a fridge and freezer to store water and food supplies.

This family were just so appreciative of the speedy support from GIVIT with the delivery of the fridge and freezer. It made such a difference to their recovery after the devastating fire.

In January 2023, the aftermath of ex-Tropical Cyclone Ellie saw flooding inundate homes and communities across the Kimberley region in Western Australia. The recovery has been complicated by the increasing cost of living, and the remoteness of the impacted areas. Despite these barriers, GIVIT continues to work with the Department of Communities to get essential items and services to people affected.

With so many homes and communities affected, Marninwarntikura Women's Resource Centre found overcrowding was a problem in unaffected homes, and many people were sleeping without bedding. GIVIT provided the service with swags to distribute to community, as well as camp chairs so people who had lost everything had somewhere to sit and rest.

We also provided the organisation with fuel vouchers to assist people displaced.