It Could Have Been Us: Grateful but Heartbroken
On the mountain you can almost hear the collective exhale of locals after last week’s horrendous weather. Yes, we followed advice, we made plans and many of us left early, but we know we were also really, really lucky. As a community that lives right in the bush (one of the most fire-vulnerable landscapes in the world) what we saw unfold so close by has landed deeply.
I think we’ve all had that quiet moment of thinking, “That could have been us", and for some, that thought is still sitting heavy.
While fire crews are slowly bringing parts of the blaze under control, the reality for neighbouring communities and our beloved floral and fauna is heartbreaking. Even if the flames didn’t reach us, many here have felt the stress, fear and uncertainty in our bones. The CFA siren is still sounding every day, we're still unpacking and repacking bags, refreshing of the VicEmergency app and watching the sky and wind. The kids are sensing our tension, and the never-ending “what ifs” really test the patience.
Through all of it, our community has pulled it together. People checked on neighbours, shared calm information, offered spare rooms and safe places for pets, and supported one another’s decisions, whether they were to stay, go, or go twice just to be sure. That’s the kind of community spirit that can’t be taught. Now many are asking what we can do to help those who weren’t spared.
There’s a huge desire to donate goods, pitch in, volunteer and it’s beautiful. But right now, the best way we can help is to channel that urge carefully, so we support recovery rather than overwhelm it. Over the coming days, we’ll share information about:
trusted places to donate funds
organisations coordinating relief
when and where physical items are actually needed, and
ways to support affected wildlife and local businesses
Please know this: support will be needed not just this week, but for months and even years. There will be time, and plenty of opportunities, to help. For now, please take a moment to breathe. Give yourself permission to feel tired, grateful, rattled, relieved (guilty, anxious etc) because those are all normal. Check in on friends, especially those who have been through bushfire events in the past. Events like these can be extremely triggering. Finally, look around at this incredible community we’re lucky enough to call home. We were lucky this time - others weren’t. Let’s honour that, hold them in our thoughts, and step into recovery alongside them gently, generously and together.
Here's our starting list of links of where you can donate funds:
CFA: https://www.cfa.vic.gov.au/about-us/fundraising-and-partnerships/donate-to-cfa
You can also use the map of affected areas to donate directly to the brigades in those areas: https://www.cfa.vic.gov.au/about-us/your-cfa/where-we-are
Sikh volunteers(they help with feeding firefighters and displaced people): https://sikhvolunteersaustralia.org/donations
Consider donating blood: https://www.lifeblood.com.au/donor-centre
Wildlife Victoria https://www.wildlifevictoria.org.au/donate
Rural Aid Australia: https://donations.ruralaid.org.au/
BlazeAid: www.blazeaid.com.au
VFF Disaster Relief Fund : https://www.vff.org.au/vffdisasterrelieffund/
GIVIT: the fundraising and donation management platform:https://www.givit.org.au/.au