Our Impact | Six months on from the 2022 QLD & NSW Floods

2022 Floods | GIVIT's Impact

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. Six months on, many people are only now beginning to rebuild their homes and their lives.

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People we've helped

Lismore

Lismore Library was inundated during the floods, and over 30,000 books and items destroyed. Staff reached out to GIVIT for help replacing books, toys and multicultural items.

The big-hearted GIVIT community donated over $12,000 directly towards this request. Officeworks also donated $10,000 worth of books to be purchased locally from Book Warehouse Lismore.

While library repairs are ongoing, donated funds have helped restock the mobile libraries, and the baby and toddler programs are back up and running.

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.

Lismore

When Gemma's* home was inundated, she  climbed 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 to 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.

Maryborough

In Maryborough, a couple and their adult autistic son were in the process of moving house when the majority of their possessions were destroyed.

Through Red Cross, GIVIT provided the family with grocery vouchers to get back on their feet. The recovery worker said the family was tearful, humbled and overwhelmed with emotion by the support they received.

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.

Northern NSW

GIVIT is working with North Coast Community Housing to provide essential items for temporary housing. GIVIT has provided kitchen utensils and crockery, bedding, towels, bins, brooms, mops, storage tubs and clothes.

The first temporary housing village has opened in Wollongbar, with more sites to open across Northern NSW in the coming months. GIVIT will continue to support this project for as long as is needed

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.

Inala

Inala Community House held a bazaar where community members affected by the floods could access food and essential items.

The home of a family from New Zealand was severely impacted. The family, which included six kids, two parents and two elderly grandparents, received grocery vouchers and new clothes, including unerwear, bras and jumpers from GIVIT's corporate partner, Hanes Brands Australiasia.

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 NSW

“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

"Thanks so much [GIVIT]. We received the vouchers from the team this afternoon.

Matt* 'doesn't do email,' so I had promised to take the vouchers to him. I printed them straight away and drove down to see him tonight. He broke down in tears as I gave them to him. I got a bit teary too standing in the garage of his gutted-out house, hearing about how he was going to go and see his dad and plan out getting the furniture so his dad could come back home quickly.

Matt wanted me to let you know how grateful he was, and to pass on his appreciation to you."

Lifeline Lismore

“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

"Wow!! Really? Is this serious? I'm absolutely blown away and don't know what to say. I've never received generosity and kindness like this before. To see my daughter's face light up with excitement that she's going to get a new bed is a great feeling. Thank you, thank you, thank you."

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 28 August 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.