By: Alsu Kurlow
Source: MuslimVillage
Human Appeal Australia
(HAA) through its state offices and along with community organisations has been
organising a nationwide bushfire relief since the fires started in November
2019.
Early Saturday morning 4 of January 2020 HAA with the assistance of the Australian Islamic Centre, MFB and community distributed the food and essentials to fire-affected regions in rural Vic. The caravan of five truck filled with donations embarked on its journey. After feeding the firefighters, the volunteers were escorted by the Melbourne Fire Brigade to different areas to offload the items. They travelled, along with other volunteers, more than four hours to distribute the supplies to victims. When they arrived in Johnsonville, the ladies cooked breakfast for 150 firefighters.
“I extend the thanks from the fire
affected areas,” Rodney Baylis, a Johnsonville firefighter, is heard
telling the group in a video
posted on Facebook. “I
just been on the phone to the captain down there and he nearly broke into tears
when I told him what we are bringing in for them today.”
On Wednesday, 8 of January 2020, three trucks and two vans were delivered to the town’s bushfire relief centres at the Cobargo Showground and Braidwood RFS containing donations for those recovering from the blaze that devastated their region.
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Human Appeal Australia and Braidwood Rural Fire Brigade at Braidwood NSW -
Human Appeal Australia Bushfire emergency appeal at Cobargo NSW 2 -
Jihad Dib MP, Clr. Bilal El Hayek, Bashar Al-Jamal HAA Director at Cobargo NSW -
Jihad Dib,MP and Human Appeal Australia Team at Cobargo NSW
Along
with these supplies, members of HAA, Jihad Dib, MP, Clr. Bilal El-Hayek –
Deputy Mayor of the City of Canterbury Bankstown, Lighthouse Community Support,
the Australian Islamic Mission (AIM) and AIM Youth group travelled to the towns
to provide support and cook food for people at the evacuation centres. About 35
people from the organisations travelled with supplies and support to Cobargo
and Braidwood and had been made to feel very welcomed by locals.
Bashar
Al-Jamal HAA’s director noted that these trips are just the beginning as more
phases of help will follow, especially for schools and farmers in the affected
areas. Meanwhile, Amin El-Bureeny, Head
of HAA Community Care thanked the generous donors and community for sending
their gifts to aid the Bushfire affected communities.
Omar
Al-Jamal from HAA, who also runs AIM Youth group, said his community had been
watching what had been occurring on the Far South Coast over the past week so
decided they wanted to do something “to stand with our fellow
Australians”. He said his community gathered the donations for the trucks
according to what they had been told was needed in the area. “Your fellow
Australian Muslim brothers and sisters and supporters in Sydney are thinking of
you guys and will be supporting you no matter what,” he said.
Australia is being ravaged by the worst
wildfires seen in decades. A total of 27 people have died nationwide, and in the state of New South
Wales (NSW) alone, more than 2,000 homes have been
destroyed or damaged.
HAA is reaching out to our generous community
to help ease the suffering of our fellow Australians who are left in evacuation
centres after losing their homes to fire.
The most effective and efficient way to help is
through cash donations. Clothing, food and other goods are not required. If you
haven’t donated, you can still do so today http://bit.ly/2QTHjPd
Human Appeal Australia would like to extend warm thanks to the generous
community for being with us on the road to goodness.
